Linde AG, Wiesbaden, has spun off its refrigeration technology division as planned and transformed it into an independent legal form on January 1, 2004. The new company "Linde Kältetechnik GmbH & Co. KG", which has its headquarters in Cologne-Sürth, is the European market leader and number two worldwide for commercial refrigeration with a turnover of around 900 million euros, 6.300 employees and production facilities in Europe, South America and Asia - and freezer cabinets as well as for corresponding refrigeration systems and services.

"As an important supplier for almost all international food retail chains, legal independence opens up additional business opportunities for us. With possible cooperation partners, we can offer our customers an even broader range of services worldwide in the future - from construction planning and remote monitoring of stores to the construction of turnkey hypermarkets", said Hubertus Krossa, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG and responsible for refrigeration technology. "We are thus strengthening the entrepreneurial responsibility of refrigeration technology and at the same time we are in the process of further improving the cost structures." In the recent past, Linde has invested around 30 million euros in refrigeration technology alone in information technology in order to further optimize production processes and order processing at the Mainz, Cologne and Beroun sites in the Czech Republic.

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Change of office at the DLG

At the beginning of 2004, Dr. Reinhard Grandke took over the management of the German Agricultural Society (DLG). He follows Dr. Dietrich Rieger, who retired at the end of 2003 at the age of 65. The 40-year-old from Offenbach/Main, Dr. After completing an agricultural apprenticeship in Lower Saxony and studying agriculture at the University of Gießen with a focus on animal production and a doctorate, Grandke was the executive director of the Gießen Central Insemination Cooperative from 1991 to 1994. He then spent five years as a management consultant at the renowned Frankfurt consulting firm Hirzel Leder & Partner, specializing in strategy, project management and organization. In 1998 he was appointed Managing Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by the DLG Board of Directors. Since 2002 Dr. Grandke is one of the two deputy DLG general managers.

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According to final calculations by the Federal Statistical Office, the consumer price index for Germany increased by 2003% on average in 2002 compared to 1,1, after 1,4% in 2002 and 2,0% in 2001. This is the smallest increase since 1999 (+ 0,6 .XNUMX%).

The further weakening of the annual average inflation is mainly due to significant price declines for technical goods such as information processing equipment (– 20,4% on annual average 2003) and household appliances (– 0,7%) as well as stable prices in the food sector (– 0,1%). . In addition, a slower rise in prices for accommodation and restaurant services (+ 0,9%) had an effect.

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The Federal Research Center for Virus Diseases of Animals in Riems has a scrapie case in a sheep in Bavaria
approved.

It is a sheep from Middle Franconia. The slaughtered animal was examined for scrapie at slaughter. The Federal Research Center for Virus Diseases in Animals has clearly demonstrated TSE-typical prion protein in the sheep.

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Spicy variant only a niche product

The yoghurt consumption of German citizens has increased almost continuously in the past and reached a new record high in 15,7 with a total of 2003 kilograms. The consumers' preference is clearly for yogurts with added fruit. Around two thirds of private households use this option when shopping. Almost a quarter of the yogurt leaves it natural. Spicy yoghurt forms a niche segment. According to the results of the ZMP / CMA raw data analysis based on the household panel of the Society for Consumer Research, however, it is attracting more and more interest.

When it comes to sales of organic yoghurt, on the other hand, the trend is exactly the opposite due to the structure of the product range: two thirds of sales are natural yoghurt and one third fruit yoghurt. This could be related to the different purchasing behavior of consumers, but also to production. Because the production of organic fruit yoghurt is very complex and at the same time cost-intensive for companies, since relatively small quantities of organic fruit have to be purchased for processing.

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Agricultural products much cheaper

Consumer prices for fresh produce have often been stable or even declined over the past year, for example the prices for beef and pork, roast chicken and duck, drinking milk and butter, cheese and wheat flour. Higher demands prevailed for veal cutlets and lamb, eggs and potatoes as well as some types of fruit and vegetables.

According to the representative ZMP surveys, the kilo price for braised beef at the shop level remained stable at an annual average of 8,55 euros. Compared to 2001, German consumers got this cut 25 cents cheaper. When buying roast pork neck, German consumers saved 6,20 cents compared to the previous year and even 34 cents compared to 2001, at an average price per kilo of 80 euros. Fresh chicken schnitzel cost an average of EUR 2003 per kilogram in 7,91, which is around 60 cents cheaper than the year before. In 3,5, consumers were able to buy a liter of milk in the stable one-time pack, 2003 percent fat, for an average of 58 cents, three cents cheaper than in 2002. When buying Allgäu Emmentaler, piece goods, 45 percent fat, they paid an average of 6,50 euros per kilogram and thus saved 25 cents compared to the previous year.

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Livestock and Meat

On the meat markets, wholesalers and butchers were satisfied with business in the last two weeks of 2003, large quantities of beef were marketed and stocks were reduced. Accordingly, trading in the first full week of the new year was characterized by pent-up demand and additional purchases. Interest was increasingly focused on the comparatively cheaper items from the consumer and processing sectors. The prices for these were directed upwards, while precious parts were often sold a little cheaper. Young bulls were scarcely available on livestock markets. The slaughter companies therefore increased their payout prices for male slaughter animals across the board. Female cattle were also not offered in large numbers and could also be paid more expensively than at the end of 2003. The federal budget for young bulls R3 rose in the reporting week by six cents to 2,36 euros per kilogram slaughter weight; in the week before Christmas only 2,18 euros had been paid. For slaughter cows O3, the average increased by five cents to 1,56 euros per kilogram compared to the previous week; before Christmas it had been 1,43 euros. There were also positive trends in shipping beef to neighboring countries; here and there slightly higher prices could be achieved. – In the coming week, the beef supply will continue to be limited. The price trend for young bulls and cows for slaughter, which is pleasing from the producer's point of view, could therefore continue. – Similar to beef, the veal stocks on the wholesale markets were almost empty. Demand has calmed down this week, but veal prices are still at a very stable level. According to provisional information, the price paid for calves for slaughter on a flat-rate basis was EUR 4,77 per kilogram of slaughter weight. – Stable to fixed prices are quoted for livestock calves.

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Cases of illegally slaughtered cattle without the necessary BSE tests are also reported from Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rehiemland-Palatinate. Cattle were also slaughtered in Bremen without a BSE test

When checking unclear cases in the nationwide cattle database, the Bremen health authority determined on January 8, 2004 that four cattle slaughtered in Bremerhaven that were older than 2003 months had not been tested for BSE between January and September 24. In the Bremerhaven slaughterhouse they were accidentally assigned to the younger slaughter animals that do not need to be tested. A total of around 24.200 cattle were slaughtered in the Seestadt during the period mentioned. The authorities are currently reviewing 20 cases in Bremen-Stadt and six in Bremen-Nord, whose review has not yet been fully completed.

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From now on, interested parties can find out more about the latest developments in this economic sector in the newly published annual report on the German fishing industry for 2003. The annual report is published annually by the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture.

The report comprehensively describes the situation of the German fishing industry in 18 articles. Part I of the annual report deals with the focal points of German, European and international fisheries policy as well as the economic situation of the various sectors within the fishing industry. Part II reports on the activities of German fisheries research both in the field of sea fishing and inland fishing. In Part III, the fishing fleet, the fishery protection boats and fishery research vessels, the work of the on-board weather stations and the maritime and social insurance are presented in various articles. This is followed by extensive statistics in Part IV and in Part V the report is rounded off by an overview of contact persons for fisheries issues.

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2004 little changes in shop prices

Since the BSE crisis, which shook the German meat market at the end of 2000, German citizens have been reluctant to consume beef. And a return to old consumption values ​​is not to be expected in 2004 either, especially since cheaper pork is preferred in economically difficult times. As in the previous year, the expected beef supply from domestic and foreign production should therefore be sufficient for demand and keep consumer prices stable at their previous level.

The meat consumption of German citizens, which collapsed sharply after the onset of the beef disease BSE and had dropped to just 2001 kilograms per capita in 6,8, had recovered again in 2002. In 8,4 it remained at an average of 2003 kilograms. The quantities of previous years - between 9,5 and 10,5 kilograms per capita and year - are now far from being reached.

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Follow words with deeds!

In response to the announcement by Federal Minister Künast that she wanted to promote more research in green genetic engineering and the approval of genetically modified products on the market, the Commissioner for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group, Helmut Heiderich MdB, and the responsible constituency member, Christa Reichard Member of the Bundestag:

In view of Künast's latest remarks, one rubs one's eyes in amazement, but: better late than never, if only because of the pressure in the federal government to realize the so-called "year of innovation".

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