Summary of newspapers of the previous days – 21. – 23. 10. 2011

Decelerating export cheapened cotton

A price of futures for cotton decreased to the lowest prices over the last 2 month yesterday after publishing a report which informed about a further decrease in export value of this commodity from the USA side. It was the 3rd week in series when export of this commodity declined. At the week ending with the 13th October, the cotton export decreased by 5.9 % to 59 271 packs. An estimation predicting a lower global demand for cotton has been issued already before. December cotton ended by 2.9 % lower on 96.86 cents for weight pond yesterday on ICE Futures.

Fishermen finished haul of second biggest pond; they fished 300 tonnes of fish

Roughly 300 tonnes of fish were fished from Horusický pond in the region Tábor, the second biggest pond in the Czech Republic with 438 hectares, by fishermen during a four-day haul. The yield is comparable with foregoing years. Of the fished fish, 90 percents are carps, a director of Rybářství Třeboň Josef Malecha said to ČTK today. What was the X-mas carp price is not clear for the present. It should be known at October end after hauls of large ponds, he told. “Horusický pond belongs from a view-point of yield among the ponds with the highest quality in our area”, Malecha told. Besides it, a large amount of fish is usually also in Bošilecký pond. It will be hauled at the beginning of November.

Minister Bendl: Reform of European agriculture will be successful for CR when strengthen Czech farmers

The future form of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was the pivotal point of Thursday meeting of ministers of agriculture of the European Union member states which takes place on the 20th and 21st October in Luxembourg. The ministers could for the first time react on legislative proposals published by the European Commission (EC) on the 12th October. Generally, the proposals were accepted as a base of further discussion. However, most member states pointed out the fact that the proposed measures do not reflect fully objectives which are expected from the CAP reform. Among them there is for example an emphasis on competitiveness and a reduction of administrative burden. These attitudes were presented also by the Minister of Agriculture Petr Bendl. “From the view of Czech Republic, this CAP reform will be successful only when it fundamentally contributes to strengthening of competitiveness of Czech and European farmers, and when it reduces an excessive bureaucracy which they have to battle with in business. I suppose that from this point of view we have a long way ahead”, he told in his speech.

Food aid to poor in EU: Yes but not from CAP budget

Six member states including the CR blockade a restoring of food aid to the poorest inhabitants of the EU in amount of 500 million Euros yesterday. They succeeded to reduce the program by ľ with the force from the 1st January. At present, the food aid to the poor is ranked in a budget of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which invoked dispute among their main receivers and states of block minority. When the aid was introduced in 1987, it counted on increase in food reserves so that there was enough also for subsidized food for the poorest. However, the food reserves have reduced from that time and most aid is purchased for market prices. The biggest receivers of the programme are at present French farmers. Therefore Germany and other states claim that it is dealt with hidden agrarian subsidies which they deny paying.