Applications for irrigation investments open from February 4

(Photo: drnagyistvan.hu)

Irrigation development is essential for maintaining the competitiveness of Hungarian agriculture, which is why the Ministry of Agriculture treats its support as a priority. The aim is for the size of irrigated areas to increase continuously and significantly in the coming years, thereby increasing crop security and strengthening the cultivation of higher value-added crops. The two calls for proposals, co-financed by the European Union and announced in November 2024 within the framework of the CAP Strategic Plan, with a total budget of HUF 65.8 billion, serve to achieve the set goals: the “Support for on-farm investments improving the efficiency of irrigation development and water use” and the “Support for complex on-farm investments improving the efficiency of irrigation development and water use”.

In the call for smaller projects, the maximum amount of support that farmers can apply for is HUF 200 million

In the call for larger, complex developments, a minimum of HUF 200 million and a maximum of HUF 5 billion can be applied for. The calls support the introduction of water-saving irrigation technologies, the optimization of water use in irrigation systems, the modernization, expansion and reconstruction of water-saving irrigation infrastructure and related structures, and the creation of new irrigation water supply works and systems. In order to ensure sustainable water management, preference will be given to producers who apply various water conservation management methods to improve the water retention capacity of the soil.

AM