Farmers’ competitiveness must be maintained

(Photo: AM)

The agriculture ministers of the Visegrád countries, Bulgaria and Romania discussed the management of the flood situation, the experience of the Common Agricultural Policy, the use of biomass for energy purposes and the balance sheet of the 20-year European Union membership in Poznan. At the meeting, István Nagy drew attention to the anomaly caused by the weather, that while the western half of our country was struggling with floods, the drought in the eastern half was causing problems for the farmers. The challenges posed by extreme weather are increasingly frequent. In order to solve the difficulties, we must think together, and we must share good practices with each other, he added. The minister said that we have to manage water and, in case of floods, it has to be channeled into reservoirs, and for this, it is necessary to carry out improvements. Another solution is to improve the condition of our soils, so that they are able to store as much water as possible. Thirdly, joint action must be taken in developing the resources and mechanisms necessary to deal with natural disasters and crisis situations in the European Union. Financial assistance must be accelerated, he added.

The head of the ministry said at the meeting that the Common Agricultural Policy represents a serious perspective for farmers

It contains important elements in relation to support for competitiveness, sustainability and generational change, but at the same time, it often involves a frightening amount of administrative burden. This, on the one hand, prevents the utilization of KAP assets, and ultimately delays the date of payment of subsidies, which needs to be changed.

István Nagy emphasized that a balance must be found between increasing social expectations, sustainability issues and the basic tasks of the KAP

In this changing geopolitical situation, it is not enough to provide farmers with predictable income subsidies, but we must also pay more attention to risk and crisis management tools, as well as more flexible access to them. It is no coincidence that the focus of the Hungarian EU presidency is on farmer-centered agricultural policy – the minister underlined.

AM