Soybean production must be increased further, the goal of which is also self-sufficiency

(Photo: AM/Csaba Pelsőczy)

Even with a magnifying glass, you cannot find a sector in agriculture that does not require adequate training, knowledge and experience not only for development, but also for staying afloat. As he said, all of this is extremely true for soybean cultivation – the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture put it in his speech. As he said, this replacement plant – which enriches the soil’s nutrient supply by binding atmospheric nitrogen – requires a particularly careful and good owner. In Hungary, in recent years, 160-180 thousand tons of crops were typically harvested from 60-70 thousand hectares. As a result of increased area-based support with financial resources allocated to protein crops, the soybean production area in Hungary jumped from 40,000 hectares before 2015 to 77,000 hectares in 2015, but since then it has fallen short of this value and has decreased to just 58,000 hectares this year. Sándor Farkas mentioned that our soy self-sufficiency is only 15-20 percent, which would be very important to change.

Farmers can apply for irrigation subsidies

The deputy minister spoke about how, due to climate change, irrigation development is essential, and this is one of the bases for further increasing Hungarian agricultural competitiveness.

Currently, there are several tenders for encouraging irrigation available to farmers. Grant applications can be submitted until October 1. So far, 766 producers have received subsidies of HUF 52 billion, Sándor Farkas pointed out. In accordance with the new support system of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan, the first application opportunities are expected at the end of this year and in 2024, and everyone can be a winner. In addition to calls for tenders, direct grants are also of particular importance. The legal titles available on a hectare basis provide significant financial stability to the producers, as they reach the recipients annually on a normative basis. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture introduced several new support rights, which continue or replace the measures introduced in previous years. The new basic support, the redistributive support, or the agroecology program are available to a wide range of producers.

Sándor Farkas explained that the budget for the support for the cultivation of grain protein crops has increased significantly compared to the budget for the previous period

Thanks to the effective cooperation of the Hungarian Soybean and Protein Plant Association, it has increased by 22%, and thus instead of 13 million euros, the distributable resources will be around 16 million euros. Based on the applications received, it is already known that a specific subsidy of at least 241 euros can be expected, which at an exchange rate of 380 forints/euro can mean 91.7 thousand forints per hectare. Climate change has also warned us that irrigation development is essential to maintain and further increase the competitiveness of Hungarian agriculture. The historic drought we suffered last year confirms that we have a common interest in increasing the size of irrigated areas. We also know that it results in a more efficient use of water resources if farmers use it jointly and cooperatively. This is encouraged by supporting the cooperation of irrigation communities. In the future, the support of water management and effective irrigation development will remain a priority. For many years, the Ministry of Agriculture has been providing support for the realization of farmers’ investments in this direction, and in addition, priority support for farmers participating in irrigation communities will also be maintained.

AM