The technological modernization of agriculture is the basis for further development

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

Sándor Farkas said at the Arable Days and Agricultural Equipment Show organized by the National Chamber of Agriculture and the National Association of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery Distributors that Hungary achieved the fifth best result in the European Union in terms of added value growth during this period.

The state secretary pointed out that technological modernization is taking place in Hungarian agriculture

This is indicated by the fact that farmers spent HUF 680 billion on investments last year. He said that in 2022, the rural development program contributed 226 billion forints to developments, which resulted in 452 billion developments, calculated with an average support intensity of 50 percent. He said that the sale of agricultural machinery, which reached HUF 385 billion last year, contributed significantly to the further increase in productivity.

Sándor Farkas commented that, in his opinion, the solidarity corridor provided for Ukrainian grain did not achieve its original goal

Ukrainian farmers have to meet different requirements, so it is possible to buy Ukrainian grain significantly cheaper than Hungarian grain, which caused a difficult situation. As a solution, he suggested that EU funds should be provided for the transport of Ukrainian agricultural products so that they can reach their traditional consumer markets. István Jakab, the Vice-President of the Parliament and the President of the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ and Farmers’ Cooperatives, said in this regard that, after the eventual peace, a solution must be found so that Hungary remains competitive against Ukraine, which cultivates 40 million hectares, and which, as an associate member, will shake the EU markets to its foundations . He emphasized that the problem requires a joint task and preparation, and the V4s are also preparing for this together. He also talked about what he called “crazy ideas from Brussels” that could cause further problems, according to which plant protection agents should be withdrawn and the current method of tillage should be changed. He believed that the event will help prevent possible negative effects, since the amount of pesticide use can be reduced by learning about and using modern precision technologies, but according to him, their use cannot be completely avoided.

Balázs Győrffy, the president of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy, said that this year’s focus at Hungary’s largest arable exhibition is sustainability, which is “more and more important when farmers feel it on their own wallets”. Therefore, on the 42-hectare exhibition ground, “theory becomes visible in practice”, and these help farmers adapt to, for example, last year’s drought, which was a big lesson for everyone.

MTI