No need to pay agricultural water service fee this year for irrigation water use

(Photo: Pixabay)

The extremes of the weather are well illustrated by the fact that the current winter period from October to March was much drier than average, and in addition, much less precipitation fell in the watershed areas. For this reason, the onset of the water shortage period had to be announced earlier than in previous years – already from the beginning of March. Incidentally, the biggest problem during a drought is evaporation loss, which was almost exactly the same as the annual precipitation last year, causing significant drought. It is interesting that due to the lack of precipitation, more people than ever before have used the so-called extraordinary irrigation option in recent years, which allowed them to temporarily start irrigation with a simple notification, thus preventing billions in damage.

Based on a recently adopted government decision, the government also took over the water service fee in full from farmers

Agricultural water fees are determined by the maintenance cost of the water management system, which depends to a significant extent on whether the water reaches the given canal by gravity or whether it needs to be pumped. However, irrigation costs have increased significantly almost everywhere due to the surge in energy costs, so at the initiative of the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) and the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives (MAGOSZ), the government took over the water service fee from producers this year as well, as in previous years.

Our agriculture plays a significant role in the national economy

The sector accounts for nearly 30 percent of the total foreign trade surplus. Our crop production and animal husbandry – in addition to meeting domestic needs – export a significant amount of goods, and our agricultural enterprises and family farms provide a livelihood for nearly half a million people and provide consumers with high-quality food. Mitigating the effects of climate change and war is crucial from both a social and economic perspective, and the recently adopted government decision is an important element of this.

NAK