Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 24.11.2011

COPA/COGECA and its chairmen emphasized need to maintain European agriculture competitive

Presidents of COPA/COGECA, in the framework of the main discussion organized by the EP and which was focused on the CAP future, emphasized in their speeches necessity of strengthening of competitiveness and productivity of European agriculture and processing industry owing to growing world demand for foods and necessity to contribute to economic growth and employment within the EU. The COPA president, Mr. Gerd Sonnleitner stressed: “Achievement of growth is at present more important than at any time before in Europe. The sector of agricultural production employs about 40 million people. Last week, G-20 members, including the EU representatives, asked increase of agricultural production with the aim to secure food supply and to strengthen economic growth.

Production in last large dairy works in Liberec region ends

Production in the last large dairy works in the region Liberec ends. The dairy works Příšovice has stopped to purchase milk from farmers and its owners - Prague company Plastcom - ask a court for announcement of bankruptcy. ČTK found it out in an insolvency register. The dairy works´ obligations exceed many times the value of company´s property; the firm owes almost 74 million crowns to suppliers and is not able to pay its obligations. A chairmen of Plastcom directorship Jan Chroustovský states it in an insolvency proposal.

Minister Petr Bendl approved tariffs for national complementary payments to direct supports (Top-Up) for 2011

By means of complementary payments, 1 284 306 921 crowns in total will go in Czech agriculture in 2011. The Minister of Agriculture, Petr Bendl signed a size of tariffs for particular sectors. Money from national complementary payments will support sensitive sectors: hops, potatoes for starch production, ruminants, cow without market milk production, sheep and goats.

Agricultural departments want wage growth by 3.8 pct next year

Agriculture trade unions ask so that wage tariffs in the branch would increase at average by 3.83 percents. A chairman of the Association of Individual Trade Unions (ASO) Bohumír Dufek said it to ČTK today. At the same time, trade unionists want an increase of the minimal contribution to pension supplementary insurance from the present 250 to 500 crowns. The Wednesday takeover of the trade unions´ requirement was confirmed to ČTK by the chairman of the Agricultural Union of the CR Martin Pýcha. Both sides should meet for the first negotiation about the proposal in two weeks. “In our opinion, inflation will not be minimal as the premier sent a message to us - to one percent”, Dufek justified the trade unions´ requirement. “We think that the growth in the area of life costs will climb over 3.5 percents”, Dufek pointed out and added that he meant growth of necessary expenditures for heat, electricity, food, and living costs, not the average inflation.