The Ministry of Rural Development is launching a tender within the New Hungary Rural Development Program for the modernisation of cages for laying hens, in order to make it easier for egg producers to conform to the relative EU directives and reimburse part of their costs and expenses.

The support budget is 3 billion Forints, of which applicants may request between 5 and 200 million Forints. Applications may be lodged between September 1-30 with the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development by clients who already have poultry farms. Support may also be requested for purchasing machinery and equipment, meaning applications may also be lodged by those not keeping their poultry in cages (i.e. bio, deep litter or free-range).

The European Union determined the minimum requirements for keeping poultry in cages in 1999. Starting in 2012, poultry may only be kept in cages that meet the EU regulations.

According to the directive, birds must be provided with at least 750 cm2 of cage area and each cage must include a 15cm perch for each hen. Access to a freely usable feeding trough must also be provided, which must be at least 12cm long per hen. In addition, each bird must have access to two valve or cup drinking systems.

In Hungary – on the basis of a survey by the Animal Health Authority – there are a total of 551 poultry farms with laying hens, of which 67 operate according to the above requirements and 291 are farms that use traditional cages. The Ministry of Rural Development's support plan is designed to help the latter.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)