Many tools help the new agrarian generation to prevail

(Photo: Pixabay)

The Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives (MAGOSZ) and its Young Farmers Section organized the Young Farmers Congress for the first time, which was attended by more than three hundred young farmers from home and abroad. In addition to the effective farmer activities for decades, MAGOSZ young farmer sections were established in each county in recent years, which gives additional dynamism to the organizational and advocacy work.

The current congress in Gödöllő was also honored by the Minister of Agriculture Dr. István Nagy with his presence. In his greeting, he highlighted: In the new agricultural support cycle, the Hungarian Government offers even more opportunities than before to promote generational change in the new Hungarian Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy launched in 2023. It is essential that professionals who are open to the world, innovative and equipped with modern knowledge work in agriculture and the food industry. In addition, the situation of family farms must also be strengthened. He added that the generational change is also necessary because producers who operate small and medium-sized farms account for a significant part of domestic agriculture, whose support is essential for the further development of the sector. The strengthening of our future and the whole of rural Hungary depends on whether the generational change will be successful.

István Jakab, the president of the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives, emphasized: Circumstances have changed in the 21st century, there is a need for the cooperation of older and younger farmers. The up-to-date knowledge of young people based on the experience of older people is the guarantee of success.

Balázs Győrffy, the president of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy, emphasized: As in all over Europe, the average age of those working in agriculture is high in our country, generational change is key. Agriculture is a prominent and strategic sector of our country, with the new support cycle a number of opportunities are opening up, an unprecedented amount of support is available for the development of agriculture. And the chamber helps farmers to use the resources as efficiently as possible, and in cooperation with MAGOSZ and partner organizations also in the area of advocacy. A striking example of this is the petition against the land tax, which has already been joined by around 120,000 people.

György Zsolt Papp, president of the MAGOSZ Young Farmers Association, emphasized: Agriculture has reached a milestone, and young farmers are ready to serve Hungarian agriculture with their diligence and the best of their knowledge. In recent years, many steps have been taken in the field, and today there are visible signs of a generational change in agriculture. This is helped by, among other things, the renewed regulation of farm transfers, the subsidies for generational renewal, and the multi-element subsidies for young farmers. And at today’s large-scale event, a unity could be seen – with the participation of MAGOSZ, NAK, the Ministry of Agriculture, actors in agricultural financing and young farmers – that is forward-looking.

NAK