Photo: Senate President Miloš Vystrčil
PRAGUE 11 January - A conference entitled The Future of Czech Agriculture was held today in the Upper House of Parliament. The event was organised by the President of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, together with the Committee on Economy, Agriculture and Transport, with the support of the Minister of Agriculture, Marek Výborný. Petr Štěpánek, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, also spoke at the conference. The speakers spoke mainly about further developments and new challenges for Czech agriculture.
"The conference is a follow-up to the October meeting on the Senate floor with Agriculture Minister Mark Výborný and representatives of Czech agricultural organisations. We are continuing our discussion on the future of agriculture in the Czech Republic. It is important that we focus not only on the current state of affairs, but also on the future and on discussing the right strategy for the further development of Czech agriculture, which we will also promote at European level," said Senate President Miloš Vystrčil.
Minister for Agriculture Marek Výborný on the topic said: "We are talking today about the future of Czech agriculture, but its current state is also important. The present is not without its difficulties, but it also has its strengths, which give us hope. These include the experience of our growers and breeders, very good competitiveness in cereals and poppies, for example, the quality genetic potential of livestock, and the high level of animal welfare. We also know that agriculture cannot do without modern practices and technologies. We need to focus even more on organic and precision farming and, of course, vocational training is essential so that our agriculture has a future in international comparison.
"Czech agriculture is facing new challenges related to the geopolitical situation and climate change. The conference has the ambition to prepare for these changes in time and to find common solutions," added the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture to the conference Petr Stepanek. He also said that sustainable agriculture was a priority for the Czech Republic.
"The future of Czech and global agriculture depends on how it copes with the effects of climate change. Above all, it is about adapting to the higher frequency of meteorological extremes and changing production conditions. Clearly the most serious impact will be an increase in the number and intensity of dry episodes with a direct impact on agricultural primary production," emphasized Professor Zdeněk Žalud from Mendel University in Brno.
The conference was moderated by the Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture Jarmila Smotlachová. The aim of the conference was to initiate a public discussion together with the main actors of the agricultural sector in the Czech Republic on updating the current Strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture with a view to 2030.
Speakers included representatives of agricultural associations and academics. They spoke, among other things, about the development and impact of climate change, labour productivity in agriculture, the development and trends in Czech agriculture and its strengths and weaknesses. However, agriculture in Poland was also a topic.
Senat.cz/GN.CZ/JaV_O7
https://www.senat.cz/zpravodajstvi/zprava.php?ke_dni=12.1.2024&O=14&id=3679&from=M
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