Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 2. 3. 2011

Sale of goods from Fairtrade exceeded 1 billion pounds in Great Britain

A sale of goods from Fairtrade, fair trade systems, exceeded one billion pounds in Great Britain in 2010. It happen in spite of fears that economic recession will force British to prefer the price to the ethics. The organization Fairtrade Foundation announced that a sale of bananas, chocolate, coffee and other products with its mark increased year-on-yearly from 836 million pounds in 2009 to 1.17 billion ponds (33.5 bil. CZK) in 2010.

Agricultural committee wants to make clear land sale conditions for foreigners in EU

Today, the parliamentary agricultural committee interrupted a hearing of amendment of exchange law which should enable foreigners to buy agricultural land including forests in the Czech Republic. Representatives want to negotiate the land sale conditions not only inland but also in other European countries in a competent sub-committee at first. The ban of land sale was negotiated by the Czech Republic within accession in the European Union; the exception terminates in May this year. Representatives should turn back to the amendment early in April.

They capitalize on potatoes, though they will plant out less

A third of Czech potatoes are grown in Vysočina. However, a size of their growing areas still increases. Potato growers get even six crowns for one kilogram against the same time a year ago it is almost triple. Despite the good profit they are going to plant out an area smaller by several percents this year. Probably, growing of corn for new bio-gas stations will be enlarged at the expense of potatoes”, a chairman of the Central Potato Growing Union of the CR Miloslav Chlan told after a general meeting of the Union in Havlíčkův Brod.

Feed producers can borrow as many as 300 thousand tones of cereals from State Material Reserves Administration

The government approved a proposal of the Minister of Agriculture Ivan Fuksa who react to the current situation on the market with cereals determined for feed production. Cereals from the State Material ReservesAdministration can be used mainly by pig and poultry breeders. The loan is for a fee and refundable by the year end at the latest. Feed producers can borrow from the state material reserves maximally 300 thousand tones of cereal in total. They will have to return all cereals from this year´s crop by the end of 2011.