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Czech agricultural trade deficit deepens to CZK 16.6bn in H1
27.08.2010 11:36 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
Czech agricultural trade deficit deepened to Kc16.6bn in H1 this year and the year-on-year increase amounted to Kc1.3bn, according to data of the Czech Agricultural Association made available to CTK.
Imports of agricultural products rose by 1.5 percent to Kc68.2bn, exports increased by 0.5 percent to Kc51.6bn, the association said.
Czech agricultural trade has been in a deficit since 1993.
The association estimates that the Czech agricultural trade deficit for full-2010 will rise by over Kc2bn to Kc32bn from 2008s Kc29.67bn.
According to association head Miroslav Jirovsky, the year-on-year drop in exports of grain had the main effect on the deepening of the gap.
«Around 150,000 to 170,000 tonnes (of grain) a month were exported in Q1. Then, it went down,» Jirovsky told CTK.
Exports of milk, eggs and honey amounted to Kc6.8bn.
Imports of meat and tripe totalled Kc7.8bn, imports of vegetables amounted to Kc6.1bn, imports of fruits and nuts reached Kc5.6bn and imports of milk products, eggs and honey amounted to over Kc5bn.
The association expects a drop in exports in the remaining months of this year as well.
Owing to bad weather, this years harvest will be worse than last years. Less rapeseed will be exported this year than in 2009.
According to Agricultural Ministry, the long-term Czech agricultural trade gap should not be judged negatively as it reflects the Czech Republics status as an industrial country. However, the Czech Republic should keep surplus of commodities that it produces in sufficient amounts.
According to a recent vision for Czech agriculture after 2010, the country should start trading more with non-EU countries and exports shoudl focus on traditional Czech commodities such as beer, hops, malt, poppy seeds, milk products and sweets.
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