March 16, 2020

Czech Republic food reserves adequate excluding pork

Miroslav Toman, Czech Republic Agriculture Minister said agriculture food supply is sufficient but food processing industries need to be supplied with protective equipment, disinfectants and financial support in the wake of COVID-19, reported Radio Prague International.

He said the public must recognise the importance of domestic agriculture self-sustainability and it should be supported.

More than 270,000 tonnes of beef, about 6.5 million eggs and more than 8,000 tonnes of milk are produced in the Czech Republic, according to the Czech News Agency writes.

The country's Health Ministry said domestic beef production hit a 23% surplus in 2019, but poultry production only reached 67.6% of total consumption, eggs at 86.6% and pork at about 50%.

Dana Večeřová, Federation of the Food and Drink Industries of the Czech Republic head said that many food production businesses do not have adequate food security standards in place.

She added that current measures by the government may affect small and medium food producers, as they will not be able to sell at markets. But as these markets only operate on a wide scale between April to May, it's difficult to judge the impact on these businesses.

-      Radio Prague International