05/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - During the Special Agriculture Committee (SAC) on Monday 4 October, certain EU countries regretted the limitations to the current tele-detection system used to monitor crops and provide yield forecasts. Cyprus, for example criticised the fact that its territory was not covered by the system (Ed: although Turkey is in fact covered by it). Finland would have liked the system to be extended to oats production. In its report of 16 August on implementation of tele-detection applications, the European Commission said that the system had overall worked well and most of the delegations who had spoken at the SAC shared the same analysis. This system (agro-meteorological models, low resolution satellite images) facilitates monitoring of production for cereals, oilseeds, sugar beet and potatoes. The average annual cost of the system is quite low, according to the Commission: €1.5 million. (L.C./transl.fl)