The Agrár Széchenyi Card with special interest subsidy can be applied for until June 2024

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

The state secretary emphasized that, in order to bridge market difficulties, farmers can safely conclude their contracts for the Agrár Széchenyi Kártya Max+ loan without using their de minimis limit until the middle of next year. All this with only 5 percent annual interest actually payable. He added that the increased interest subsidy is also available to those who already have a normal Agrár Széchenyi Kártya overdraft. It is possible to apply for a loan amount of up to HUF 100 million, and loan agreements can be concluded until June 29, 2024, and thousands of farmers have already submitted their requests, he explained.

In Zsolt Feldman’s presentation, he also covered the amendment of the KAP Strategic Plan

As he said, between February and May 2023, its informal consultation began with a total of 7 medium-sized and 375 minor substantive amendments, as well as nearly 70 technical amendments. In 2024, from the point of view of farmers, more opportunities are expected with regard to the Agricultural Ecology Program, and minor amendments are also expected. In 2024, a larger-scale amendment will be prepared based on the experiences of the first year of the Agricultural Ecology Program and the deliberately announced three-year agri-environmental management program until the end of 2024, harmonizing the green area-based subsidies. Their importance in financing has increased, so next year they want to offer a “menu line” to all farmers, based on which all producers can make a decision whether or not they want to join them. The current programs are taking place with great interest, since farmers participate in the Agricultural Ecology Program with 4 million hectares and in the Agricultural Environmental Management Program with 1.2 million hectares. This work is carried out in joint work with the profession, which is one of the biggest agricultural professional tasks of the year 2024.

The state secretary also spoke about the 2024 rural development tender schedule, the important principle of which is to ensure continuity

As he said, the tender schemes are announced in such a way that access to the support schemes that are to be maintained continuously is possible without interruption – such as the agri-environmental management program or support for organic farming. It is important to announce in the first quarter of the year those calls intended to help agricultural areas change to a more optimal land use by creating water retention investments, field protection forest strips or lawns, and to which a kind of income compensation, multi-year maintenance support will be linked. First, in February of next year, tenders related to forest management will be announced. These will be followed from March by calls related to animal husbandry, horticulture, the food industry and the feed industry. Next summer, the support package to help the generational change will arrive – detailed Zsolt Feldman.

AM