Asociace soukromého zemědělství ČR

Activities of the APF CR

National level

At the national level the APF particularly concentrates at defending interests of private farmers in dealing with state bodies. The APF CR representatives seek to protect and promote interests of private farmers  in the parliament, at ministries and other state administration bodies.

The APF cooperates closely with foremost institutions and experts in agricultural economics and elaborates and submits concrete proposals of both operational and conceptual characters. In all its proposals the APF CR consistently defends the principle of minimum state interference in free entrepreneurship.

Creating a positive and professional public view of the farmers’ estate with the help of publication activities in various media is among others a task of the APF CR. One of the basic aims is also support of education and informational service for the APF CR members. Particular attention is being paid to a two-way flow of information between the membership and the national office (Presidium of the APF CR).

The APF CR also coordinates particular professional economic programs as well as social activities. It organizes national actions to support the aims and protect the interests of private farmers if necessary.

The APF CR is a member of the Association of Renewal of Countryside through which it cooperates particularly with chairmen and members of the municipal councils. Besides the individual regional organizations, the independent interest society Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders of the CR is also a member of the APF CR.

The APF CR permanently presents its activities, regions and members at several national agricultural exhibitions.

Regional level

The activities of regional APFs put stress particularly on economic affairs. The members of the APF unite for the purpose of joint purchases and sales or dealings with buyers and suppliers. Sales cooperatives that bring tangible economic profit to their members are founded in some regions. Information service and social or economic activities such as harvest festivals, excursions or balls are part and parcel of regional APFs activities. Annual professional seminars and trainings (work safety, plant protection and working with sprays, drivers’ training, veterinary trainings, legislation, taxes and accounting, computer and internet work etc.) are also important for the APF members.

International level

The APF CR is a member of the organization of European farmers COPA. In the framework of this project the APF is able to present its interests directly in the center of European bureaucracy – in Brussels. The representatives of the APF CR attend all important meetings in Brussels regularly. The APF CR maintains exceptional relations particularly with its colleagues from the new EU countries. In terms of these relations the attempt to push through certain candidates to the foremost places of the COPA organization became successful. APF CR became a spontaneous and respected member of a formal and informal fellowship of European farmers’ organizations in course of last years. The Association regularly participates at various international events: European agricultural congress, symposiums in the European parliament or commodity councils’ meetings and expert meetings within COPA-COGECA. Other new foreign contacts are continuously created at the level of foreign embassies in the Czech Republic and at professional and expert levels in terms of World Bank, FAO and OECD meetings. They are practically used not only to gain important information from the international agricultural scene but nowadays also more frequently for organizing study trips to farms in several European states and overseas. The APF CR also cooperates with the deputies of the European Parliament (especially from the EPP-ED fraction).