Summary of newspapers of the previous days – 16.-18.12.2011

CSO: Price of peppers significantly raised in shops, oranges cheapened

Prices of peppers have significantly risen in recent four weeks. They were available on shelves in shops for 45.05 crowns per kilogram; so they have risen by 4.66 crowns, by almost 12 percents. Vice versa oranges cheapened, the Czech Statistic Office (CSO) stated. Orange price has decreased by 7.19 percent to 27,62 CZK/kg. Also ham salami and Edam cheese (Eidamská cihla) were more expensive. People had to pay more for the salami at average by five crowns; it cost 120.56 CZK/kg. The Edam price has risen by 5.18 crowns per kilogram to 125.16 CZK/kg; it has increased by 4.32 percents. The CSO compares regularly prices among regions.

Parliament enabled access to state land to EU citizens

Citizens of the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Island will probably more easily get to Czech state agricultural and forest land in the future. An amendment of act on state land sale counts on it. It was approved in the final reading by the Parliament today. Now the Senate will get it to negotiate. The bill is connected with an approved amendment of foreign currency law which cancelled a legal reduction of purchase of agricultural land for foreigners. The today-adopted amendment was supported in total by 134 representatives across parties. None voted against. The amendment should also to secure sale of agricultural parcels to farmers who have already managed on them.

Parliament approved amendment of act on seed

The Parliament approved in the final reading a government amendment of act on seed today. This amendment concern above all conditions of collection and sale of seeds determined for protection of natural environment. It is dealt with seed used predominantly in national parks and protected landscape areas. Now the Senate will get it to negotiate. Mainly it is dealt with seeds of meadow flowers and plants from mountain meadows. The amendment introduces a licence which will be issued to businessmen by the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture. An interested person in this licence will have to inform the Institute about an amount of seed for which he/she asks for the licence and about acreage and a placement of planned localities of collection.

Minister of Agriculture Bendl in Brussels came out against tying of rural development by other administrative and defended money for investment for Czech fishermen

The support of rural development in framework of the Common Agricultural Policy reform was one of topics discussed by ministers of agriculture at today´s meeting of the Council for Agriculture and Fishery in Brussels. The Czech Republic has in this area a fundamental task in form of advocacy of a sufficient amount of financial means for our countryside after 2013 and squaring up with excessive bureaucracy. Ministers of member states of the European Union also dealt with proposal of the European Commission about a new fund for sea and fishing policy of the EU for the period 2014 to 2020 from which we will support activities of our fishermen.