Tradition and renewal, the Bábolna Farmers’ Days have begun

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

At the event, István Nagy drew attention to the fact that by the beginning of September, the size of the areas declared for drought damage had reached 390,000 hectares. Corn crops on 235,000 hectares and sunflowers on 125,000 hectares are affected by the drought. And the announcement of 160,000 hectares in the Southern Great Plain clearly shows the particular vulnerability of the region, as we experienced in 2022 as well. In recent years, the tools for the subsequent mitigation of natural damage have been consciously strengthened. The damage mitigation fund was topped up to HUF 35 billion from state, producer and EU sources, and this year farmers took out drought insurance for 715,000 hectares, which includes premium subsidies, the minister explained. He emphasized that water is a key issue for agriculture. In the upcoming tenders of the Rural Development Program, the introduction of water-saving irrigation technologies, the optimization of irrigation systems, and the development and reconstruction of water-saving irrigation infrastructure and related works of art will be supported. So far, more than 1,200 irrigation projects have been supported in the program, for a total amount of HUF 177 billion, the minister explained. The almost complete reconstruction of the old systems and the development implemented or under construction on 32,000 hectares represent a huge step forward for all the production and irrigation communities involved, he said.

István Nagy reminded that 184 million saplings were planted in the framework of the National Afforestation Program in the last five years

This significantly contributes to the preservation of the productivity of our soils. The minister drew the farmers’ attention to the fact that tenders will soon appear that will enable the creation of field protection forest strips, tree rows and wooded pastures, so that the areas planted with trees remain part of the agricultural support system. Csaba Gyuricza, the rector of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, said in his welcome that a drought strategy will be developed by the end of the year, which can serve as a guide for farmers and decision-makers. At the 37th Bábolna Farmers’ Fair, nearly 220 exhibitors await visitors on 20,000 square meters. On the vocational school day, the organizers will address students in secondary agricultural education, they expect a thousand students from 26 schools. KITE Zrt, as the largest integrator of Hungarian agriculture, received a special ministerial award at the opening. The farmer days are organized by the Bábolna National Stud Farm, and the exhibition is organized by Magyar Mezőgazdaság Kft.

(AM/MTI)