Tag Archives: green
The First Romanian Agriculture Fund To Provide Farmers With Financial Compensation For Economic Losses
Balkans.com Business News Correspondent – 03.09.2013 The first Romanian agriculture fund to take on risks insurers do not cover will be set up by the National Federation Pro Agro, the president of the farmers’ organization, Alexandru Jurconi, told BR last week. The fund is an income stabilization tool and will provide farmers with financial compensation for economic losses caused by such events as adverse weather and environmental calamities. While the model is a first for the Romanian market, it has a strong background in Western Europe. The need to set up an agriculture mutual fund has long been debated locally and has become more pressing in the context of climatic disasters such as last year’s drought as well the more recent food safety scandals. The fund will mostly be fuelled from public sources – 65 percent of the compensation will come from the state and EU funds, and the remaining 35 percent will represent members’ contributions. “The contribution paid by the Pro Agro Agriculture Mutual Fund members will be calculated so that it won’t be a financial burden for the farmer but can still cover compensation of up to 97 percent,” said Jurconi, adding that the organization is currently working on a contribution framework to best cover the losses suffered by farmers. Pro Agro’s announcement comes after Romania finally transposed the EU legislation pertaining to agricultural mutual funds this summer. “I believe that setting up a mutual fund would be local agriculture’s biggest achievement in the last 10 years,” said agriculture minister Daniel Constantin this June. At that time he also expressed hopes that only one such fund would be set up at national level which would “make it stronger”. Under the current law, several such mutual funds can be set up as non-governmental organizations. Any local farmers’ organization can set up a fund but one of the main conditions is that its members represent at least 30 percent of the country’s farming surface. Any farmer who reports revenues can subscribe to a mutual fund both individually and through associations of which the farmer is a member. In the first phase compensation applications will be submitted to the Agency of Payments and Intervention for Agriculture (APIA) until the mutual fund develops a national network, the authorities have previously announced. “In addition to the insurance companies, farmers will have the option to contribute to a mutual fund created and supported by the European Commission. It will be an NGO whose running costs will be supported for a three-year period from EU rural development funds to which Romania will have access,” added Constantin. Members of the National Federation Pro Agro will automatically become members of the mutual fund, which will be headquartered in Bucharest and will have seven other regional branches. Business Review Romania Continue reading
Viridis Energy’s Scotia Atlantic Biomass Commences Wood Pellet Production
Sep 04, 2013 (ACCESSWIRE via COMTEX) — Vancouver, BC – September 4, 2013 – Viridis Energy Inc. (“Viridis” or the “Company”) CA:VRD -7.69% , a “Cleantech” manufacturer and distributor of renewable energy providing biomass fuel to global residential and industrial markets, announced today that it has commenced production of wood pellets at its wholly owned subsidiary, Scotia Atlantic Biomass Company, Ltd. (“Scotia”), located in Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia, with its first shipment of 25,000 sold for delivery in December. The Company began production on three of its five pellet presses in late August and expects to be running all five presses by the end of September. The Scotia facility’s current annual capacity of 120,000 tons, brings Viridis’ total production capacity to 180,000 tons. The Company recently announced that it entered into an agreement with Ekman & Co AB (“Ekman”), one of the world’s oldest trading houses and wholesalers of forest products, to market Scotia’s entire 240,000 ton wood pellet production over a two-year period as its exclusive agent. Ekman’s operations span 100 countries through 40 offices, including Europe where most of Scotia’s production will be sold to utilities and industrial consumers of wood pellets. “Our Scotia Atlantic facility is located near excellent shipping ports on the Atlantic Ocean, making it strategic to addressing the growing demand for renewable energy sources in Europe”, said Christopher Robertson, Viridis’ chief executive officer. “We are delighted with the quality of pellets produced at Scotia. As demand for wood pellets continues to grow dramatically and unique marketing opportunities similar to our Ekman arrangement surface, we will look for means to aggregate product offering through production expansion, as well as wholesale sources.” ———————————– |Company Contact: A Michele |A|A| |Rebiere Chief Financial | | | |Officer Viridis Energy Inc | | | |905-847-5226 | | | |investorinfo@viridisenergy.ca| | | ———————————– About Viridis Energy Inc. Viridis Energy Inc. CA:VRD -7.69% is a publicly traded, “Cleantech” alternative energy company specializing in the agricultural and wood waste biomass. Located in Vancouver, B.C., Viridis Energy operates Cypress Pacific Marketing, Okanagan Pellet Company and Scotia Atlantic Biomass, thus providing the company with vertical integration for distribution and manufacturing as well as coast to coast national presence. For more information on Viridis Energy Inc. please refer to the company website at www.viridisenergy.ca. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Company’s future operations. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management’s current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: (1) a continued downturn in general economic conditions in North America and internationally, (2) the inherent uncertainties associated with the demand for biofuels, (3) the risk that the Company does not execute its business plan, (4) inability to finance operations and growth (5) inability to finance the start-up operations in Nova Scotia in a timely manner (6) inability to retain key management and employees, (7) an increase in the number of competitors with larger resources, and (8) other factors beyond the Company’s control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company intends to update such forward looking information in the Company’s MD&A in the event that actual results differ materially from such forward-looking statements contained herein. Additional information about these and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties are set out in the “Risks and Uncertainties” section in the Company’s MD&A filed with Canadian securities regulators. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. http://www.accesswire.com/img.ashx?id=407465 Continue reading
Report: 160 Commercial Advanced Biofuel Plants Under Development
Taylor Scott International News Taylor Scott International Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott Continue reading
