Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 16. 8. 2011

Agrarian trade deficit increased to 18.5 mld. in midyear

In the first midyear, the agrarian foreign trade deficit increased by 1.8 milliard to 18.5 milliard CZK. It results from customs statistics of the Czech Statistic Office provided to ČTK by the Agricultural Union of the CR. The Union estimates that the trade with agricultural products, foods, beverages and tobacco products over the entire this year will end with a record deficit 35 milliard CZK. The agrarian export achieved a value 57 milliard crowns over the first six months; year-on-yearly, by 5.5 milliard CZK higher.

Foods are more expensive by one third against last year; poorest are endangered, World Bank states

In the area of African corner, the situation owing to expensive foods is the most serious. Hundreds of thousands of children are in life risk owing to shortage of foods. “We have no rescue cushion for them”, a chief of the World Bank Robert Zoellick states. High prices of food endanger the poorest people in developing world, the World Bank (WB) introduced. According to it, food prices were significantly higher in July than year ago, by 33 percents. “Permanently high prices and low food reserves show that we are still in a dangerous zone”.

Czech farmers earned over six milliard crowns in last year

The year 2010 was successful for Czech agriculture. Farmer profit climbed on 6.2 milliard CZK and some branches, as e.g. plant production, increased significantly. Contrary to that, animal production still decreases. In spite of savings and strokes in the state budget, total farmer subsidies increased. They reached 38.5 milliard CZK. According to data of the Ministry of Agriculture, with it also dependence of Czech agriculture on subsidies increases dangerously, it is dealt already with 260 thousand crowns per one employee in agriculture.

EFSA opened public consultations of scientific stand on evaluation of risks of foods and feeds obtained from GM animals

The EFSA has opened a public consultation to a work version of scientific stand on evaluation of risks of foods and feeds obtained from GM animals and connected animal health and welfare. In the consulted scientific document, the EFSA outlines specific requirements and methodologies for evaluation of a risk which should be applied to foods and feeds obtained from GM animals which will be put forward for approval of sale in the EU.