As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, the consumer price index in Germany is expected to rise by 2003% on average in 1,1. This is the lowest annual rate of inflation since 1999 (+0,6%). The rate was higher in 2000 (+1,4%), 2001 (+2,0%) and 2002 (+1,4%).

In December 2003, the price index is expected to increase by 2002% compared to December 1,1 (November 2003: + 1,3%) according to available results from six federal states.

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The index of producer prices of industrial products in November 2003 was 2,0% higher than in November 2002. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, the annual rate of change in October was 2003 at 1,7%. Compared to the previous month, the index remained unchanged in November 2003.

As in previous months, in November 2003's price trend for some energy sources had a particularly strong influence on the overall price climate: Electricity prices in November 2003 were 8,4% higher than in November 2002, natural gas more expensive, 14,4%, gasoline 3,4%, diesel at 5,7% and light fuel oil at 7,9%. For other energy sources, lower price increases (coal + 1,3%, district heating + 1,9%) or price decreases (heavy fuel oil - 2,6%, LPG - 1,6%) were lower than in the previous year. Without energy, the annual increase in the index of producer prices would have been 0,2%.

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Livestock and Meat

At the wholesale meat markets, demand for beef was concentrated on the noble and finest cuts. The sale prices for these lots continued to rise. Forearm and processed goods could also still be marketed without any problems. On the livestock markets, the supply of young bulls continued to decline; it roughly corresponded to the needs of the slaughterhouses. The prices paid by the slaughterhouses for young bulls mostly remained the same, only a few cents more were paid for animals of selected quality. Cows for slaughter were also not too plentiful, and producer prices for females for slaughter were little changed in much of our country. The federal funds for young bulls R3 and cows O3 stagnated at the previous week's level of 2,18 euros and 1,43 euros per kilogram slaughter weight. Mail order business with Italy was characterized by subdued business, but trade with France, Spain and Portugal showed a slight upward trend. - In the next 14 days, the slaughter activities are likely to be severely restricted due to the public holiday. However, there will probably be little change in the prices paid for slaughter cattle, since the supply is likely to be rather limited. – The veal trade at the wholesale markets was brisk. The focus was on leg meat. Price surcharges could be enforced for this as well as for fillets and back. The payment prices for slaughter calves billed at a flat rate peaked at up to EUR 5,00 per kilogram slaughter weight, the federal average remained unchanged at EUR 4,91 per kilogram. – The veal market developed inconsistently.

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Künast welcomes development plans as an introduction to sustainable management

"With the agreement on multi-year development plans for cod and northern hake, the Gordian knot has been cut and the start of sustainable resource management has been achieved," said Federal Consumer Minister Renate Künast, welcoming the Fisheries Council's decision on December 19th. "This marks the beginning of a change in EU fisheries policy. The decision creates the conditions for bringing the desolate stocks, especially of cod, back to a level that allows ecologically compatible fishing and thus also offers the fishermen clear and long-term economic prospects." Now it is important to fill the efforts for sustainable resource management with life. Künast: "We are only at the beginning."

EU fisheries ministers agreed this morning to introduce recovery plans for cod and northern hake stocks, after intensive deliberations interrupted by bilateral talks. In view of the desolate stock situation, Künast had repeatedly called for a catch moratorium or recovery plans with similar protective effects in accordance with scientific recommendations.

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Künast sees a promising field of activity in biotechnology

Federal Consumer Minister Renate Künast considers research into technologies to further reduce animal testing to be a promising field of biotechnology. On the occasion of the presentation of the Animal Welfare Research Prize to Prof. Holzhütter from Humboldt University on December 16th in Berlin, the minister said: "My goal is to further reduce animal experiments without compromising consumer safety The biometric methods that have been awarded prizes today allow medicines or cosmetics to be reliably tested for a possible phototoxic reaction. And that without animal testing. Other methods, such as RNA interference technology, which involve testing on genetically modified cells, also appear promising here. There is a lot of future potential in this research area - and thus also an economically viable opportunity for innovation in the field of biotechnology."

Künast pointed out that with the method that has now been awarded, it has been possible for the first time to develop an internationally recognized alternative method for animal experiments in the field of phototoxicity, which is also used with better success than traditional animal experiments. It is important to keep working here. Their goal is to reconcile consumer protection and animal welfare. Great attention must be paid to all innovations that are ethically justifiable and scientifically recognized. She thanked the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the central office located there for the collection and assessment of alternative and supplementary methods to animal experiments (ZEBET) for their great commitment to this issue. "Without ZEBET, we wouldn't have gotten that far with alternative methods - and I'm very excited to hear what we'll hear about RNA interference technology in the coming year," said the minister.

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Applications for storage aid can be made

So now it comes, the private storage (PLH) of pork, which Germany rejected this year. Denmark, which was still the supporter and main beneficiary of this measure last year, also voted no in the Management Committee this time. Nevertheless, the “coalition of the willing”, led by France and supported by Austria and Spain, finally prevailed.

If everything goes according to plan, applications for storage aid can be submitted to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food from the Christmas week. This should reflect the volume and price pressure expected for January. Without the PLH, the pigs that remained standing over Christmas might have led to strong supply pressure and weak seasonal demand, which could have resulted in quotations of one euro per kilogram of slaughter weight. With the support measure that has now been decided, the prices in this country should move between EUR 1,10 and EUR 1,20 per kilogram. On December 17th, the January contract was traded at 1,13 euros per kilogram on the commodity futures exchange. The usual seasonal price fixing should take place in February. The price level of the previous year of 1,30 euros per kilogram for class E will, however, probably not be exceeded.

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Optimum health effects at medium altitudes

Long-term studies of people who had been to mountain clinics for spa stays lead to the result that in the majority of cases the desirable changes in health persisted months after inpatient treatment. The two most striking findings, pulse calming and blood pressure reduction, remain stable for a period of up to eight months even after returning to the lower-lying home environment.

People with diseases of the cardiovascular system are often plagued by doubts as to whether they can cope with the climatic stresses of a holiday in mountainous regions. This uncertainty could now be clarified by one of Dr. Thomas Becker at the Center for Anatomy at the University of Cologne. On the contrary, it showed that staying at medium altitudes (between 1000 and max. 3000 m above sea level) has measurably positive effects on the function of the heart, circulatory system and lungs. Altitude-related climatic stimuli are most effective at altitudes of around 2000 m above sea level.

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Private storage for pork decided

Due to the difficult market situation, the EU Commission has approved subsidies for private storage of pork. At the meeting of the pork management committee in Brussels in mid-December, only Germany and Denmark voted against this measure, while the Netherlands and Luxembourg abstained. The granting of export refunds, which was brought into play by several countries, was rejected by the Commission. "In view of the WTO negotiations and international trade disputes, the introduction of export subsidies would have no chance of being implemented for political reasons," said the delegation.

Applications for private storage should be able to be submitted to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) from December 22nd. In terms of design, the regulations for private storage correspond to those that were decided a year ago. This means that the storage time for the individual cuts is generally between three and five months, the subsidy rates for the individual cuts have remained unchanged and the measure is not limited in time. There is no export obligation for the stored goods.

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Hustle holiday business drives prices

About a week before Christmas, the sales of eggs on the German market has taken on a turbulent scale: consumer demand has risen so much that retailers have to reorder. However, the supply is only just barely enough for the big buying interest, so that the packing centers have continued to raise their demands, especially for short-term ordered goods.

In wholesale 100 German standard eggs (they usually come from cage attitude) of the weight class M last average 9,95 Euro and corresponding Hollandware 9,30 Euro, that was 1,10 or 0,80 Euro more than eight days ago. Until Christmas, further price rises on the upstream market levels are quite possible.

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When comparing the first three quarters of this year to those of the previous year, based on extrapolated values, there is an increase in the amount of 3% for meat products and sausages, a decrease of 1% and for the price development even 10%. According to STOCKMEYER market research, however, these data also contain a structural effect that was caused by the strong shift in favor of cheaper self-service goods.

Under the aspects of this additional structural effect, it is important to evaluate the development of service and self-service goods. Service lost 5 points in sales, 13 points based on value and 8 points in price development. Self-service goods, on the other hand, increased by 10% in terms of quantity and 4% in value, while prices fell by 5%.

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New results of a long-term study on the trail of the expensive

Since the introduction of the euro, retailers, chain stores, restaurants and the authorities have increased their prices for the most part. This is the result of a long-term price investigation by the Institute for Applied Consumer Research (Cologne) on behalf of the WDR 2 broadcast Quintessenz (WDR 2, Monday-Friday, 14.00 p.m.-14.30 p.m.) in Bielefeld, Dortmund, Essen and Cologne. In retail alone, since the last price survey in February 2002, over half of the almost 600 products examined have become more expensive, a third cheaper, and a sixth of the items had the same price.

Particularly noticeable: the price increases were comparatively significant and for the most part were over ten percent. Example: A bucket with 2,5 liters of wall paint cost 29,95 marks before the euro was introduced, the equivalent of 15,31 euros. In February 2002 the price had already risen to 19,90 euros. Do-it-yourselfers even had to pay 21,98 euros in November 2003 - a total price increase of almost (just under) 44 percent.

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