Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 27. 4. 2011

Government will discuss proposal for tightening of animal product imports

The government will negotiate a proposal for tightening import conditions of foods of animal origin from EU member states into the CR on Wednesday. If the Cabinet supports the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture, their importers will have to inform in details supervisory authorities about a delivery 24 hours before the arrival of goods at the latest. It results from a material placed on the government web. Czech food producers and farmers have called for tightening of rules for food imports for a long time.

Veleba: This year´s crop of rape will be certainly lower than last year

This year´s rape harvest, despite the record area under this crop-plant, will be certainly lower than last year. The president of Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba said it to ČTK today. Therefore he expects keeping of high prices of this commodity. Owing to unfavourable weather at the end of last year almost a third of the oil plant was sown after the end of agricultural time limit and weak growths were subsequently ploughed under in the spring. The chief of agrarians did not presume to estimate this year´s cereals harvest.

Dairy giant Lactalis strives for Italian Parmalat

A new leader arises on the world milk product market. French group Lactalis, the biggest dairy group in Europe, wants to take over Italian Parmalat. It offers 2,6 Euros for each Parmalat shares and so it estimated the whole company for almost 3.385 billion Euros, in currency conversion over 81 billion crowns. According to estimations, the group Lactalis - Parmalat should reach an annual turnover 14 billion Euros. The French concern itself has a turnover about ten billion Euros today; a half of it abroad.

Objectionable Belgian pig meat stopped and is sent back

Before Belgium supervisory authorities found out (on the 8th of March) and confirmed (on the 12 of April) an excessive content of sulfadiazine in pig meat, it had already aimed at the market, even in the CR. Belgian authorities published thin information through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on the 18th of April and it was a signal for our State Veterinary Administration. From two deliveries in the amount of 34 000 kg, 26 000 kg have been stopped till this time which means a ban of setting afloat.