NGM: support for Hungarian farmers is the first for the government, new program helps livestock farmers in trouble due to foot-and-mouth disease epidemic

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The ministry stated in a statement: Hungary’s resources do not belong in Ukraine, but with families, businesses and Hungarian farmers! According to the information, the Ministry of National Economy is helping farmers in trouble due to the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic with a complex five-point package of measures. In addition to the lending moratorium, wage guarantee support, compensation source and preferential MFB loan, a new program will help agricultural enterprises that have suffered damage from August 14. Farms operating in the counties hit by the infection and producers severely affected by the export ban can use a zero-percent interest-free overdraft facility under the Agrár Széchenyi Kártya Program until the end of the year. The government is mobilizing all necessary means to ensure that Hungarian livestock farmers can overcome the difficulties and continue their work stronger, they wrote. The aim of the measures is twofold: on the one hand, to ensure animal health safety and the continuity of the food supply chain, and on the other hand, to maintain economic stability in the livestock sector.

They pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will be supporting agricultural enterprises affected by the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic with a new support program from August 14.

According to the relevant amendment to the regulation, agricultural enterprises directly affected by the epidemic – whether farms operating in counties affected by the infection or producers severely affected by the export ban – can use a zero-percent interest-free overdraft facility in the Agricultural Széchenyi Card Program until the end of the year. The aim of the new measure is to provide quick and effective assistance in mitigating the economic effects of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic. The condition for participation in the program is that the affected enterprises prove their eligibility in a statement provided by KAVOSZ Zrt.

The foot-and-mouth disease epidemic reappeared in Hungary after more than 5 decades in March 2025 on a cattle farm in Kisbajcs

The highly contagious disease causes serious economic damage, as it mainly affects cloven-hoofed animals – cattle, pigs, sheep, goats. In order to prevent the spread of the infection, the authorities introduced strict measures, and due to the epidemic, many farmers were forced to reduce or completely stop their production, and the temporary loss of export markets further increases the loss of income.

In 2024, the export value of live cloven-hoofed animals reached HUF 138 billion, while the export of meat and by-products for food purposes was HUF 220.8 billion

The interest-free loan option not only provides short-term financial assistance to affected livestock keepers and processing companies, but also contributes to the long-term stability of the agricultural sector and the smooth operation of the food chain. The Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture aim to mitigate the damage caused by the epidemic with this measure, support Hungarian farmers and preserve rural jobs, the NGM emphasized in its statement.

MTI