István Nagy: the total output value and profitability of agriculture have also increased

(Photo: drnagyistvan.hu)

István Nagy said: the total output value of agriculture increased by 6.2 percent this year. Due to the difficulties faced by the sector, its production volume decreased by 3.6 percent, including that of crop production by 8.7 percent – he noted. He explained that the yield of corn – also due to the smaller sown area – decreased by 29 percent, that of sunflower by 7.3 percent, but that of wheat increased by 10 percent, that of barley by 9 percent, and that of rye by 1.6 percent. He added that the total production volume of livestock farming expanded by 2.5 percent, the production of live animals by 2.4 percent, while that of animal products increased by 2.6 percent. According to the Minister of Agriculture, progress was also made in the area of ​​agricultural profitability, as – as he said – the income of production factors exceeded the previous year by 11 percent, and entrepreneurial income by 21 percent. He stressed that despite the difficulties, nothing threatened the safe food supply, and the sector did not have a bad year financially.

István Nagy reminded that Hungarian agriculture had to endure numerous difficulties and many challenges this year

The early spring frost affected 50-90 percent of the sour cherry, cherry, apple and apricot crops – he explained. He recalled that among animal diseases, foot-and-mouth disease appeared in Hungary after 50 years. African swine fever, bluetongue, plague of small ruminants and the bird flu virus also caused further difficulties – he added.

The Minister of Agriculture said that this year was not favorable for crop growers either

Due to the hottest summer in Europe, the drought caused damage to more than 500 thousand hectares, although this was only one third of the area affected by the drought in 2022 due to the government’s efforts – he said. As he said, by the end of the summer, golden yellowness of grapes, i.e. phytoplasma, caused devastation in all Hungarian wine regions. In this situation, “the farmers set an example for all of us with their diligence and perseverance”, which is confirmed by the performance of agriculture and the latest figures of the Central Statistical Office (KSH) – he highlighted. István Nagy stated in his video: farmers can always count on the government, even in times of challenges, as they are important allies of each other. He emphasized that farmers deserve respect and gratitude for their diligence and perseverance.

MTI