The complete exemption of the affected farms is underway and if there is no new infection, the restrictions can be lifted within weeks

István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

István Nagy reminded that the incubation period of the virus is two weeks, so if “there is no new outbreak” by the weekend, “we can practically say that Hungary is free from the foot-and-mouth disease virus”. He added: May 30 could be the first date when an exemption can be declared, and the European Union can lift all restrictive measures against Hungary on June 30. At the same time, he warned that until then, we still have to work very hard, and that “we cannot let off steam” after hearing the news from Slovakia, but that everything must be done to prevent the African swine fever virus from entering Hungary. In his report, the minister assessed that the killing of the infected animals took place with the highest possible safety standards and the greatest discipline, the police were also deployed to guard the farms, and the army’s chemical protection squad participated in the disinfection. He reminded that the virus and the epidemic affected Győr-Moson-Sopron county, and due to the long distance, the idea of ​​transporting the carcasses from there to the Solt animal incinerator in Bács-Kiskun county had to be abandoned. Therefore, the internationally approved solution of burying the animals in safe conditions was applied, he said, emphasizing that the work of the operational team was very difficult, since there is no settlement in Hungary that would have been happy with this. Therefore, the operational team decided that the burial would take place in places that have been designated for this purpose for decades; all such places were checked, examined, and documented from a geological and hydrological perspective so that the animals could be destroyed safely, practically with biocomposting, he explained. He added that the pits were dug 7 meters deep, so that the groundwater is 2-3 meters deeper than this.

He acknowledged, however, that the destruction of animals caused the greatest social discontent

It was also necessary to combat the fact that people wanted to create hysteria in this regard or to present scenes that they wanted to achieve high ratings, without considering that the civilian population was not prepared for such a spectacle. He responded to the suggestions of the opposition members of the committee, who criticized the government’s communication regarding the protection and the burial of animals, by saying: even though all the information was on the website of the National Food Chain Safety Office, and even though he himself used social media as a minister, it could not compete with the online platforms on which people shared false news. Refuting these requires enormous efforts, he emphasized. He believed that it was harmful, but a natural process of an emergency that people project their frustration arising from their fear and fright.

He said that the owners of the five farms affected in Hungary are being continuously consulted, disinfection is currently taking place in several stages, and preparations for compensation have also begun

He called the basic principle of defense and state compensation to encourage a restart and provide all support so that these farms can return to production as quickly as possible. He indicated that in order to preserve the jobs of those working on the affected farms, the government has allowed employers to ensure their salaries from the state wage guarantee fund, and has also provided that the amount taken from the wage guarantee fund is also included in the total compensation amount, so that it practically remains with the owner and will not have to be repaid. He also said that negotiations were held with the Ministry of National Economy to order a loan moratorium for the affected farms and to help the financial liquidity of farmers with other means. He said that they want to encourage restocking to start within at least a year, and that by the end of the third year the colonies should reach the level they were at when the disease appeared. He also mentioned that the longer-term “side effects” must also be addressed, since in such cases non-EU third countries stop imports, as Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia did, for example. He noted that when the infection broke out, the first shipment of Hungarian grey cattle was on its way to Japan, and had to be turned back, even though it would have been a huge opportunity. He highlighted that in such cases the European Union applies the principle of regionality, so the export ban only applies to Győr-Moson-Sopron county and the three districts of Komárom-Esztergom. Regarding the side effects, he also spoke about: the government had to introduce support to stimulate the trade of pork, and the problem caused by the 15-20 percent increase in milk production in the spring must also be addressed. The minister debated at the meeting with Judit Földi of the DK, who called for meaningful information for citizens. István Nagy, however, accused the opposition member of inciting the people present there against him in Bábolná. Judit Földi firmly rejected this and asked the minister to have the government majority support his proposal for a resolution on compensating settlements due to foot-and-mouth disease. The body did not take this into the agenda at the end of the meeting.

MTI