NAK and MAGOSZ initiated the announcement of the permanent water shortage period

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Based on the indications of the National Drought Map, HungaroMet Zrt., and the county organizations of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy (NAK), the entire territory of our country is affected by the water deficit condition of the soils. The water content of the middle soil layer is satisfactory for the time being, but the soil near the surface has been critically dry in the Great Plain since mid-March, which is a serious problem in agriculture. Although the greatest problem is caused by the drought in the Great Plain, more precipitation is needed already in Transdanubia, as the soil is currently too dry for seed bed preparation and sowing.

Based on the hydrometeorological conditions and prognoses, NAK and the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives (MAGOSZ) initiated the announcement of the water shortage period at the Ministry of the Interior

It is important that during the declared period of permanent water shortage, based on the water user’s notification, it is possible to use water for irrigation purposes on one occasion without a water law permit. NAK and MAGOSZ initiated the introduction of this option in 2019, together with the waiver of the water resource contribution. The measure’s popularity is shown by the fact that emergency irrigation was announced for nearly 20,000 hectares in 2022, which increased the irrigated areas of our country by a net 20 percent. Extraordinary use of water for irrigation purposes is the application of a maximum of 120 mm/hectare (1200 m³/hectare) of water directly from surface water to an area of no more than 100 hectares for the purpose of irrigation, without interruption for a maximum period of one month. The solution to this can be the use of tractor-driven mobile pumps, in terms of water transport, the placement of delivery wing lines built from quick-connect irrigation pipes and flexible coil-up hoses, as well as the placement of mobile and reel-drum irrigation equipment, irrigation consoles, irrigation pipes with tapes, and tape drip systems that can be quickly installed in the production area. The extraordinary use of water for irrigation purposes must be reported in writing to the territorially competent water authority (the county disaster management directorate), to which the consent of the manager of the surface water affected by the water withdrawal (territorially competent water directorate) must be attached.

NAK