Beekeepers receive 5.8 billion forints of animal welfare support annually

By: STA Date: 2025. 04. 30. 10:00

The participants in one of the smallest and most important sectors of agriculture also receive preferential application opportunities and almost six billion forints of bee animal welfare support. The ministry, taking into account the situation and needs of beekeepers, supports the application of all formally compliant farmers who meet the necessary requirements thanks to the reallocation of funds.

(Photo: Pixabay)

The head of the ministry drew attention to the fact that the importance of the beekeeping sector goes beyond itself, since cheap honey can be imported, but pollination cannot. That is why the Ministry of Agriculture supports the activities of the sector’s participants with numerous tools and programs. Listing the measures, István Nagy emphasized that our country has made beekeeping activities tax-free, and Hungary was the first in the European Union to introduce animal welfare support for beekeepers.

This spring, more than 5,100 applications for funding were received from farmers, requesting support for a total of more than 510,000 bee colonies

Thanks to the scheme, it was possible to apply for a forint amount equivalent to 30 euros per bee colony. The total number of applications per year reaches 5.8 billion forints. Since the initiative covers a five-year period, the sector’s stakeholders can access a total of 29.3 billion forints, he added. In order for the desire to keep bees to remain, beekeeping must provide an adequate and fair livelihood for those involved, for which the Ministry of Agriculture will do everything, the Minister emphasized.