Starý Hrozenkov 11, 687 74 Starý Hrozenkov, tel.: 0633/69 63 23 fax: 0633/69 63 23, iskopanice@razdva.cz
Administrator: Milan Drgáč
Board of Administrators: Jaroslav Šašinka, Josef Haničinec, František Březík, Pavel Šeliga, Ladislav Karásek, Pavel Hromek, Jiří Mikšík, Josef Ondruch, Zdeněk Škarpich, Josef Krajcar
Official founding of the White Carpathians RC - 16th March 2001 ( at the establishing meeting in Zlín); on 1st November the Regional Centre had 54 members

Ecological orchards in the White Carpathians
are used for cattle-grazing as well.
Photo: Marek Sáblík, Pro-bio archive.

Providing advice was the main activity of the Regional Centre. As for the new Act No. 242 and Decree No. 53 it was necessary to harmonize legislation and activities of ecological farmers, which resulted in registration of the farmers and certification of their organic products and organic food. Another essential task lies in processing and sales of organic products and organic food (organic beef and milk). PRO-BIO assisted in certification of an abbatoir (Pavel Pešek Abbatoir in Rokytnice) and a processing plant (FILEX in Uherský Brod). Four ecologically bred bulls were slaughtered for testing and the meat distributed. The meat was vacuum-packed and mostly sold in regional shops. The Regional Centre also puts significant effort to producing and processing milk. A dairy plant in Bojkovice (the White Carpathians Sales Coop) is being prepared for milk-processing, the expected amount for the year 2002 if 10 thousand litres of ecological milk per day. Other activities focus on promotion of ecological farming and relevant education with the aim of stabilizing and improving existing ecological enterprises, gaining as many new organic-food consumers and farmers as possible in the White Carpathians and surrounding areas.

The RC commitee meetings:
1) 12th April - in Starý Hrozenkov (Uherské Hradiště district)
2) 10th May - in Mikulůvka (Vsetín district)
3) 14th June - in Rusava (Kroměříž district)
4) 9th August - in Javorník (Hodonín district)
5) 13th December - in Záhorovice (Uherské Hradiště district)


Seminars

14th February:	in Starý Hrozenkov - an advisory meeting and training course on the new registration of ecological farmers + information about the PRO-BIO Association
24th - 25th October:	in Starý Hrozenkov - "Principals and Legislation of Ecological Farming" (coorganisers: The Czech EF Advisors and Inspectors Association and the Czech Ministry of Agriculture).
24th November:	in Uherské Hradiště - "Protection of Plants in Ecological Farming" - within the film festival on environment - TSTTT in Uherské Hradiště. (Coorganisers: Information Centre for Moravské Kopanice Development, Environment Department of the Uherské Hradiště District Authority)

Grants and subsidies

Interest Groups:
	The advisor - Milan Drgáč, 19 ecological farmers involved ( from the Zlín, Uherské Hradiště and Hodonín districts); total sum 520,000 crowns (including cofinancing 52,49%).
Promotion of ecological farming - a grant from the Partnership Foundation, Brno
	Total sum of the project 116,000 crowns, out of which 30% was cofinanced. On 31st December 2001 78.713.20 crowns used (production of promotional materials for Luční Údolí gardening centre, organic food labels, a programme on ecological farming on Zlín AZ radio station, making presentation boards for two farms, purchase of a stand and equipping the stand for presentation of ecological farmers).

Other regional events organised by the RC:

26th May:	- in Pitín and Hostětín - the best ecological farmer of 2000, Z. Ševčík from Pitín formally awarded with Bartákův Hrnec (the Barták Cup) + the Spring Organic Trade Fair in Hostětín. In cooperation with Tradice Bílých Karpat (the White Carpathians Tradition) company.
26th June:	- a lecture on ecological farming at the Trades Training Centre of Agriculture in Uherský Brod by M. Drgáč
15th August:	- a one-hour live broadcast on ecological farming on Zlín AZ radio station (+ advertising posters for the programme). Participation - Milan Drgáč, P. Huspenina.
9th September:	- Harvest Festival in Starý Hrozenkov with presentation of ecological farmers. In cooperation with Kopanice Information Centre, the Town of Starý Hrozenkov and ecological farmers in the region.
26th October:	- a meeting of fruit-growers from the White Carpathians region (in Hostětín) - introducing fruit-growers to possibilities and conditions of ecological cultivation of orchards (in cooperation with Tradice Bílých Karpat company).
13th December:	- in Záhorovice - A meeting of the RC commitee connected to a discussion with experts from the Agricultural Economic Research Institute in Brno and their foreign guests (agro-environmental policy)

Solving problems in ecological beef sales - preparation of an abbatoir and a meat-processing plant for certification (Pavel Pešek abbatoir in Rokytnice and Filex in Uherský Brod), seeking and coordinating sales. Beginning of sale of vacuum-packed meat in September 2001, at a harvest festival. The first slaughter in 2001 - 4 animals.