Szatmár Region also sees Improvement of Hungarian-Romanian Economic Cooperation in Agriculture

Cooperation between the Ministries of Rural Development and National Economy and the Carpathian Region Business Network are expanding further with the opening of the Network's new office in Szatmárbereg.

Thanks to the Szatmárbereg office, farmers from North Partium, who so far have been unable to take part in cross-border cooperation with Hungarians living within the Carpathian Basin, will now also have the opportunity to participate in the village agronomist programme, the Ministry of Rural Development's Deputy State Secretary for Parliamentary, Social and International Relations Katalin Tóth stressed at the new office's opening ceremony.

She emphasised the importance of the village agronomist network, because it is from these advisors that farmers involved in agricultural production acquire the information that is essential to modern agricultural production. As an example, she cited the fact that the village agronomist network provides information on the latest developments and new technology, in addition to which it helps in the drawing up of production, funding and other documents as required by the European Union. This is especially important in the case of older farmers who do not speak the official state language with sufficient skill or have not prior experience with regard to applying for funding.

Katalin Tóth said that the new office would help to reinforce economic relations between Hungary and Romania within the Szatmár region, which would result in the creation of new jobs. The Deputy State Secretary stressed that was essential that Hungary utilise the opportunities that lie in Hungarian-Hungarian and Hungarian-Romanian relation systems to strengthen its ties with the Hungarian peoples of the Carpathian Basin.

She also pointed out that the Carpathian Basin Hungarian Farmers' Conciliation Forum formed in May of this year, which may serve as a basis and framework for cross-border economic cooperation in agriculture and which facilitates the realisation of the Carpathian Basin Economic Area set down as an objective of the Wekerle Plan from the agrarian side, also serves the integrated economic development of areas inhabited by cross-border Hungarians.

(Ministry of Rural Development)