Summary of newspapers of the previous day - 14. 7. 2010

New Minister of Agriculture of CR Ivan Fuksa took over department management

The Premiere Petr Nečas introduced in the function the new Minister of Agriculture today afternoon. After that, Ivan Fuksa presented personally to all employees of the office in a bigassembly hall of the Ministry. He thanked the resigning minister Jakub Šebesta here. Ivan Fuksa considers as the main priorities of his functioning the negotiation with the European Union on fair conditions for Czech farmers, savings and efficient operation of the department, and a removal of bureaucracy and corruption.

Inspection forbade food additive CYL

The State Agricultural and Food Inspection (SZPI) forbade distribution of a food additive CYL which is distributed by the company CANNABIS Pharma-derm in the Czech Republic which deals with production and sale of hemp cosmetics. Martina Šmídtová, a spokeswoman of SZPI said it to ČTK. “The sale of product was forbidden on base of decision of the Ministry of Health which stated that the mentioned product can not be considered as health-safe”, she told.

Prices, mainly of rye and corn, increased significantly on corn-exchange

The Corn-exchange recorded a significant price accrual at its first meeting in the new economic year. The biggest growth was showed by rye and corn. The reason is sellout of reserves from last-year´s harvest and unfavourable conditions in ripening of this-year´s crop.A general secretary of the exchange, Karel Zezula, said it to ČTK today. “In case of corn the raise in price concerns the last-year´s harvest which is almost sold out. Vice versa, in case of rape it is already dealt with prices of this-year´s harvest”, Zezula told. According to him, prices of commodities start to approximate to prices from 2008.

We end with GMO regulation. Unexpectedly, Brussels recedes from one of powers

An opportunity to increase production of genetically modified foods opens especially for the Czech Republic and Spain. According to the European Commission, member states should decide themselves about their growing. Particular European Union countries should determine themselves whether they will allow growing of genetically modified crops (GMO) on their territory. The European Commission suggested it today despite of critique from industry and some EU countries.