Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 2. 3. 2010

Area of eco-farming in EU enlarged to 7.8 million hectares

Areas cultivated by organic agriculture significantly enlarged in the European Union in recent years. In 2008 the number increased by seven percents to 7.8 million hectares. According to today´s data of Eurostat, between the years 2005 and 2008, the growth amounted to almost 21 percent at average over the entire EU without Romania and Bulgaria. Moreover, generally is counted on that their acreage will further increase. Between the years 2005 to 2008, almost 26 percents of these areas accrued in the Czech Republic. In 2008, 320 000 hectares were cultivated by organic agriculture.

Food fair starts, Invex ends

Who will twin the most twists? And how ice cream with cactus flavour tastes? That all visitors of food fair Salima, which starts on Tuesday in Brno, can find out. The same as last year also now the fair will be opened for a wide public only on Friday , the last day. “Fairs are mainly for experts because exhibitors demand it. They want to close contracts at the exhibition”, a directress of the fair, Věra Menšíková, told. She added that fairs for the public are already the past. However, visitors can look forward to interesting events also in the last fair day. “A tasting of fresh-water fish will be prepared for them in the pavilion P from the morning”.

SOCR: Milk processors profited from milk price decrease

Not businessmen, but milk processors profited from a significant milk price decrease which many Czech farmers put in subsistence difficulties. A president of the Union of Trade and Tourism of the CR (SOCR), Zdeněk Juračka, said it to ČTK today. He reacted in this way to published results of checks of the Financial Directory for the City Prague according to which trade chains selling milk products did not break the law on prices by their sale for below-cost prices from January 2007 to the end of May 2009. “From statistics resulting from data of the Czech Statistic Office it arises that the main profit from milk price decrease in last two years did not flow to trade chains, as after all a report on check carried by MF presents, but on the contrary to milk processors”.

Quality mark Klasa was acquired by 1323 products and 227 firm over six years

The national quality mark Klasa was acquired already by 1323 products from 227 firms over six years of its existence. The Minister of Agriculture, Jakub Šebesta, said it at opening of food fairs Salima in Brno today. Meanwhile, the last certificates for 32 foods will get 12 producers at fairs on Wednesday. The Ministry is going to introduce also a new marketing mark Regional food at Salima which should even increase the interest in inland foods. Food-producers and farmers have spoken for longer time about a program which would unified rules for a selection and marking of quality regional foods similarly as it is in case of the nation-wide Klasa.