Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 12. 5. 2011

Deputy Minister Chmiel negotiated with Eur-orepresentatives about future of Common Agricultural Policy of EU in Strasbourg

The main aspects of the Czech Republic´s position to a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy were introduced to representatives of the European Parliament in French Strasbourg by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Juraj Chmiel. Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture will closely cooperate with Czech representatives in the European Parliament on furthering the CR interests as they are described by a position supported uniformly also by departmental non-government organizations.

SAIF paid off subsidies for more than 10 bil. CZK in 1st quarter

The States Agricultural Intervention Fund (SAIF) has paid off in subsidies to farmers 10.3 billion crowns in the first quarter of this year. Four billions came from the state budget; a bigger amount from the European Union. The Fund expects that it will have paid off subsidies in the amount of 38 billion crowns by this year end, roughly by three billion more than last year. The most important agrarian payment is an unified payment per area known under the abbreviation SAPS. Its amount should increase year-on-yearly roughly by ten percents, vice versa, farmers should get in national complementary payments by several billion less than last year.

Most grapes has frozen in Bohemia

The frost which hit mainly in the western half of republic a week ago caused vine-growers and fruit-growers in Bohemia damages of tens of millions crowns. The frost damaged hundred percents of grapes on most vineyards, so a considerable part of vine-growers will not be able to produce wine from their own grapes and will have to buy it at a high rate elsewhere. Fruit-growers speak about the biggest damages over the last 20 years, in some places even over a half of century.

Minister Fuksa opened new farmer market place in Prague Na Františku

František is a name of new farmer market place offering vegetable, fruit, fish, meat, sausages and bread and pastry opened by the Minister of Agriculture Ivan Fuksa today. Residents and visitors of Prague 1 can use this new possibility of fresh foods purchase on the river Vltava embankment between the hotel Intercontinental and the hospital Na Františku, according to organizer every Thursday. According to the minister Fuksa, people prefer more often shopping on markets to impersonal supermarkets and they demand quality and freshness.