Hungarian agriculture will receive 20 percent more funding that is does at present during the next European Union financial period from 2014-2020, Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas said at a professional forum in Budapest.

Speaking at the 3rd National Rural Development Day forum, Mr. Fazekas called the acquisition of the 1.9 billion euros in extra funding a great success for agricultural diplomacy, in view of the fact that the EU budget was originally planned to have decreased by 3.5 during the upcoming financial period, and according to one scenario, Hungary's agricultural funding could have fallen by up to 30 percent.

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The most important domestic success was the protection of Hungary's farmland through the elaboration or Europe's strictest land legislation, he said, pointing out that the new laws guarantee that only Hungarian farmers can purchase Hungarian farmland, thus assisting the reinforcement of the agrarian middle class.

These are also the goal of the programmes that have been developed within the framework of the National Rural Development Programme, each of which determines a sector development goal, he added, include plans for the development of the pig sector, water strategy and the Hungarian fruit and vegetable sector. In addition to agriculture-related development projects, these programmes also facilitate the preservation and creation of jobs in rural Hungary.

The Minister also drew attention to the importance of promoting the production of local, artisan-made foods, which is also facilitated through increasing the network of local markets and by including local products in public catering programmes. he also said it was important that food chains become shorter and that labour-intensive sectors should provide work for increasing numbers of rural Hungarians, primarily through increasing the level of processing.

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He also spoke about the Land for the Farmers Programme, within the framework of which mainly small and medium-sized farms, and primarily family-run farms, can apply to work a total of some 250 thousand hectares of state-owned farmland. The objective is for a total of some 6000 farmers to work state land as opposed to the previous 600, in view of the fact that the Ministry would like to increase the ratio of family-run farms working in Hungarian agriculture to 80 percent. It would also like to increase the ratio of animal husbandry from the current level of 35 percent, Mr. Fazekas said.

According to the Minister for Rural Development, it is important that Hungary remain GMO free, as also stipulated by the country's Constitution, he added.

Mr. Fazekas also mentioned the Farmstead Development Programme, which is being financed from national resources, and which sends people living on farmsteads a message that they are important to society. He also spoke about the reviving market garden movement, and about one of its most successful branches, the movement to make market gardens more attractive.

Sándor Fazekas also pointed out that a significant part of the Hungarian economic growth registered this year has been achieved thanks to the work of those who work in the agriculture sector.

(MTI)