Imre Hubai: We are helping farmers with subsidies and measures

By: STA Date: 2025. 06. 17. 11:00

Without successful agriculture, there is no successful countryside, no secure food supply and no livable big city. Therefore, the government views the players in the sector, especially farmers, as strategic partners, for whom there are a large number of application opportunities that make their competitiveness and income security, as well as their everyday lives easier, said the State Secretary for Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture at the first agricultural forum of the Dombóvár farmers’ circle this year.

(Photo: Pixabay)

According to a statement sent to MTI by the ministry on Wednesday evening, Imre Hubai emphasized that the subsidies inherent in the common agricultural policy provide significant assistance in providing consumers with safe Hungarian food, in accessing the market and in increasing competitiveness. The prerequisite for payments is strict compliance with them, but it is worth making sacrifices for tenders, as the developments financed from them create the foundations of successful farming – the state secretary emphasized, adding that, among many others, these sources of support would also be at risk if an unprepared country, Ukraine, were to join the European Union. According to Imre Hubai, in 2022 we already experienced the loss of markets associated with the import of uncontrolled, dubious quality grain and the threat of losing our GMO neutrality.

In addition, the greatest risk to agriculture today is drought

The accelerated drainage caused by previous river regulations, the lack of precipitation caused by climate change and the drought situation have made it essential to review water management practices and increase the water resources stored in the landscape – he said. He recalled that the government took action in early May to find a solution, established the Drought Protection Operational Group, declared a state of drought danger, and the implementation of the drought protection action plan is in progress. The government has reallocated 4.7 billion forints of additional resources for its elements, the repair of canals, and with them the maximum filling of the storage capacity of lakes and backwaters, and immediate measures to retain approximately 150-200 million cubic meters more surface water. In addition, the government has taken over the agricultural water service fees payable by farmers this year, the coverage of which, HUF 8.122 billion, is provided by the 2025 central budget, and has allocated an additional HUF 10.2 billion for investments that can be implemented this year. Thanks to all this, farmers can access water more easily and on more favorable terms, which has great added value even in the short term – the state secretary explained in the statement.

MTI