Harvest time is over

“The harvest is complete in the majority of the country. The quality of wheat is excellent, with average yields in excess of four tons per hectare” – announced State Secretary for Agricultural Economy György Czerván at a press conference held at the Sziget Festival. State Secretary for Rural Development Zsolt V. Németh spoke to journalists about various newly available support programmes.

“The harvest has been completed in 99 percent of the country; there are areas waiting to be harvested in Győr-Moson-Sopron, Komárom-Esztergom, Vas and Nógrád counties. The quality of wheat is excellent, with average yields of 4.2 tons per hectare” – announced State Secretary for Agricultural Economy György Czerván at a press conference held at the Sziget Festival. György Czerván reminded those present that genetically modified seeds had been sown on 4.500 hectares, with the contamination affecting a further 4-4.500 hectares of so-called buffer areas. According to the State Secretary the destruction of the GMO-contaminated plants is affecting 225 farmers, with the number increasing to 2.500 taking into account the buffer areas.

“In accordance with the government’s decision, farmers will receive a uniform compensation of 360 thousand forints per hectare if they plough up the plants. Farmers may lodge their claim for compensation with government offices until September 30, and will receive the funds by December 10” – stressed György Czerván. The State Secretary added: the sowing of oilseed rape will begin on August 20, and the Ministry of Rural Development is hurrying to test all seeds in its laboratories before then so that similar problems would not occur again. György Czerván also told reporters that the new 10-year pork-meat sector strategy has been completed, the aim of which is that there be 6 million pigs in Hungary by the end of the allotted period.

State Secretary for Rural Development Zsolt V. Németh spoke about the fact that the Ministry of Rural Development is co-ordinating Hungary’s largest public education program: modern public education facilities, so-called Integrated Community Service Areas, are to be opened in 635 of the country’s towns and villages. Of these, four-hundred will be completed and opened this year – said the State Secretary, who also stressed that one of the most important tasks from the point of view of rural development was the simplification of legislation and legal procedures.

He reminded those present: the Ministry plans to operate the support tender system of the New Hungary Rural Development Programme (NHRDP) in a manner similar to that of the New Széchényi Plan. Another primary goal is for ministries to coordinate the payment of support, because the present system makes it impossible to implement a complex regional development program. Zsolt V. Németh also informed those present that the ministry is launching several new support tender programs in the near future.

The Ministry will be running an irrigation improvement and water management programme between September 15 and October 14, while applications for support by existing pig farms may be lodged between September 1 and 30. The State Secretary told reporters: Support from within the Farm Development Program can be applied for by famers from the 207 eligible settlements between September 1 and 30; applications shall be considered within 2 months, including time for the completion of documents.

(MTI, Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development, Hungarian National Rural Network)