The government has opened all possibilities for young farmers

(Photo: Pixabay)

Today, the largest agricultural and food industry development program after the change of regime is being implemented, but there is no competition between small and large producers, separate calls for tenders for small and young ones ensure the possibility of access to the development resources necessary for progress – stated Zsolt Feldman, State Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development . A more favorable regulatory environment is the fact that, for the sake of the success of the agricultural generational change, the legislation unique in this form in Europe, CXLIII of 2021 on the transfer of agricultural farms, was created in Hungary. law, the most essential element of which is that it provides the opportunity for the older generation to hand over the economy to the young people in one unit, i.e., to transfer all the elements related to the economy (land, other real estate, movable things or property rights) at the same time.

Nearly 2,300 young farmers successfully applied in the Rural Development Program, which is now closing, within the framework of various schemes, and won HUF 66 billion in support aimed at them

Within this, more than 1,200 farmers received HUF 15 billion in start-up support, more than 600 were successful in horticultural investments, and 240 developed their farms in the area of ​​animal husbandry. In the period between 2023-2027, among the 27 EU member states, Hungary undertook the 12th highest plan value in terms of generational renewal – comparing the commitments of individual countries – by planning to provide support for 6,800 young agricultural producers through various area-based or support programs to help start a business within the scope of this fund, a source of unprecedented size, worth 416.7 million euros. Zsolt Feldman announced that one of the most important of these, a new start-up and targeted investment support scheme for young farmers created with the involvement of the relevant agricultural professional organizations, has been prepared and will soon become available.

In the new system of area-based subsidies, in 2023, nearly 6,900 young farmers, more than originally agreed, applied for additional support on top of the basic support for a total of 223,000 hectares

Within the framework of the EU, the scheme was designed in such a way that the additional support is accessible to as many young people under 40 as possible. It is no coincidence that in 2024, more than 7,300 young farmers have already submitted support requests for additional support after 252,000 hectares, which could mean an additional HUF 30,000 per hectare. We provide young farmers with the largest possible additional support intensity of 15 percent if they use investment support or take over a farm from the older generation. Separate calls for tenders have appeared in recent years to support smaller and larger developments, so young farmers never had to compete with larger farmers. The support provided for the development of small agricultural plants also specifically helps them – pointed out the state secretary, who reminded that last year the acquisition of land became easier for young farmers by allowing farmers to buy up to ten hectares of land without notice.

AM