Government Maintains Strict Stance Against Brussels Agricultural Policy

The Hungarian government is stepping up its efforts to protect domestic agriculture. At a press conference on Monday, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy made it clear that Hungary would defend its farmers against “misguided decisions from Brussels.” The focus is on financing the war in Ukraine at the expense of farmers and maintaining national protective measures.

The minister emphasized that Hungarian farmers can count on state aid even under difficult conditions, such as late frosts, droughts, or market turmoil. He referred to specific measures such as compensation payments, credit moratoriums, and advance subsidies, which are intended to serve as a quick response to current challenges.

A review of the last two years of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) illustrates the volume of support, in István Nagy’s view. He recalled that 60 announcements were published as part of the strategic plan and over 103,000 subsidy applications were approved, with a total volume of 2,907 billion forints (7.7 billion euros).

The minister sharply criticized the European Commission’s plans to cut agricultural subsidies by almost 20 percent in order to free up funds to support Ukraine.

He warned that new free trade agreements could destabilize the EU internal market and that the planned restructuring of the subsidy system could trigger a wave of insolvencies.

Hungary therefore continues to call for a separate, earmarked budget for the CAP, as food supply is a strategic security issue. In this context, István Nagy reiterated that our country would maintain the import ban on Ukrainian agricultural products in order to stop the influx of goods of dubious origin.

The Hungarian government also rejects the Mercosur agreement, as it represents a “double standard.”

He pointed out that while European farmers have to meet the strictest sustainability criteria, South American products without comparable standards are allowed to flood the market.

The government is receiving support from the major associations. István Jakab, chairman of the National Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Cooperatives (Magosz), praised the long-standing, trust-based cooperation with the ministry.

He announced a nationwide information tour with over 70 forums to mobilize farmers together with the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK).

Zsolt Papp, president of the NAK, added that European farmers were disappointed and felt betrayed by Brussels. He accused the European Commission of sacrificing the health of citizens and the livelihoods of producers for political misjudgments.

Zsolt Nyitrai, chief advisor to the prime minister, also did not hold back with his criticism. He described Brussels’ policies as “unrealistic.” He said the European Commission’s attempt to link subsidies to the age of farmers in the future was particularly incomprehensible. In the politician’s view, such decisions should not be approved under any circumstances.

Despite global uncertainties, the Hungarian government is optimistic about rural development.

In light of the calculations by the Minister of Agriculture, investment subsidies alone could exceed the 1,000 billion forint (2.7 billion euro) mark in March, thus securing long-term jobs in rural areas.

Via mti.hu; Featured image: Facebook/Nemzeti Agrárgazdasági Kamara – NAK

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