The national ice damage mitigation system protects 9.3 million hectares of land

By: STA Date: 2024. 02. 07. 11:00

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The national ice damage mitigation system, which has been in operation since 2018 and protects 9.3 million hectares of land, will continue to be operated with HUF 2 billion government support, said the state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (AM) responsible for agriculture and rural development on Wednesday in Dunaharaszti, at the event of the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) and the AM.

(Photo: AM/Csaba Pelsőczy)

At the event, Zsolt Feldman reminded that until 2022 the ice damage mitigation system was financed from the damage mitigation fund, which came from 50 percent producer payments and 50 percent government support. The government will provide HUF 1.8 billion in 2023 and HUF 2 billion in 2024 for the operation of the system, he indicated. The state secretary said: last year, a quarter of the approximately 30.7 thousand hectares of frost-damaged land was corn, and 12.5 percent was winter wheat. Balázs Győrffy, the president of NAK, explained that the ice damage removal system operated by the chamber sends silver iodide into the clouds from 986 points in the country with the help of 219 automatic and 767 manual soil generators. According to his information, in the defense season (April 15 – September 30) in 2023, the equipment had to be switched on for 96 days. In 2023, ice damage was reported for a total of 30,678 hectares, while in 2017 for another 72,000 hectares, added the NAK president.

At the event, the best national and county generator operators of the national ice damage mitigation system in 2023 were awarded. Róbert Polotár from the county of Somogy became the best generator operator in the country.

MTI