Potato areas have increased, the long decline in late potato fields has almost ceased in the Czech Republic. The Czech Ministry of Agriculture supports the processing of potatoes through European and national subsidies. For example, it provided CZK 130 million in the form of voluntary support linked to production last year. This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Jiří Milek, at the press conference of the Czech Potato Association, held yesterday in Přerov nad Labem.

"Naturally, it belongs to our country, we promote its care and it also provides employment, so we try to maintain it and develop it." Potatoes are considered sensitive products and their producers have the opportunity to make use of direct payments from the European Union. coupled payments for potato production last year were about CZK 130 million, "said Agriculture Minister Jiří Milek.

Last year, almost 6,000 hectares of new potato were subsidized, with CZK 13,743 per hectare, and more than 10,000 hectares of old potato, for an amount of CZK 4,777 per hectare.

Late potato areas in the Czech Republic have been declining for a long time, but in recent years, the decline has almost stopped. In contrast, new potato crops have grown in recent years. It is expected that this trend will continue this year as well.

"In the recently presented draft of the new rules of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020, the European Commission plans to reduce payments to larger farms, which include a substantial part of the potato producers." I think the proposal is the only one will work and be modified in the discussion with each of the Member States.The Ministry of Agriculture will press vigorously so that the so-called top of direct payments is voluntary and the negative impact on our farmers is minimal, "said Minister Milek.

In national subsidies, producers can receive a contribution for the cure of special crops, for example, to prevent the spread of potato diseases or to test the prevention material.

The Ministry actively promotes the potato. The project of the Czech Potato Association "Potatoes - Healthy Vegetables" provided a total of CZK 294,000  in 2017 and CZK 175,000 this year.

In the first week of June, a harvest of homemade early potatoes was launched. They are areas that have been covered with fabrics as protection against freezing. The harvest started a week earlier than usual. Although it is in the beginning, we can expect average yields of good quality. A similar situation exists in neighboring countries. The harvest of early potatoes also began in Austria, Germany and Poland.