Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 11. 5. 2011

In dispute about spread butter it is dealt with principle

The question of existence or non-existence of spread butter is a fundamental interest not only of many Czech dairy works and consumers, but also a defence of national interests of a new member state against the former EU-15. It is no secret that it is an entirely common matter in old member states that many products, which have in their name “butter” are not butter in fact, have bestowed exception from regulations for marking of spreadable fats.

ASZ: Land management should be improved

According to a chairman of the Private Agriculture Association (ASZ, Asociace soukromého zemědělství ), large appropriations of land owing to progressive build-up complicate economy of Czech farmers. According to the Association, the land disappears owing to enlargement of town agglomerations and also activities of some large firms. Farmers also dislike a reputedly insufficient protection of land against adulteration. “We consider land as the basic and irretrievable commodity for the country and agriculture. We are convinced that the state still has not managed it in such a way what the land would merit.”

Agrofert has bought bio-spirit producer Ethanol Energy

The company Agrofert Holding belonging to an entrepreneur Andrej Babiš has bought a firm Ethanol Energy which produces bio-spirit and other products in Vrdy near to Čáslav. A director of fuels and bio-fuels division of Agrofert, Martin Kubů, informed ČTK today. The firms did not publish the price for which Babiš´s company bought Ethanol Energy from the present owner Otakar Moťka. According to Kubů, the distillery in Vrdy is able to make use of as many as 150 000 tonnes of cereals or corn yearly and in the future it should process as many as 200 000 tonnes of sugar beet.

Ordinance for protection of agricultural land

The Ministry of Environment actively put through the protection of quality land. Therefore it has set fife classes of protection in framework of which payments for its exemption from the agricultural land fund are graded according to the land quality. The ordinance has been already published in the Collection of Laws. We can consider land as one of non-renewable natural resources. It fulfills not only the basic function of a substrate for growing of cultural plants and security of food self-sufficiency for CR inhabitants.