György Czerván regards the representation of Hungarian interests during the course of the reform of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which basically determines the opportunities and room for manoeuvre of Hungarian agriculture for the period 2014-2020, as having been successful.

At a press conference held on Friday in relation to the latest step in the Ministry's watermelon promotion drive, the Minister of State for Agricultural Economy said that "we have managed to achieve the acceptance the Hungarian standpoint, according to which it would like to increase the room for manoeuvre of sensitive sectors. With regard to direct support, we have managed to achieve an increase in the level of funding with respect to so-called production related support to 13 percent from the current level of 3-5 percent."

The Minister of State also said that it was important to note that in certain cases a further 20 percent of the national envelope could be put towards supporting sensitive sectors such as animal husbandry or fruit and vegetable production.

In the case of rural development funding, the second pillar, the support of irrigation and the horticulture sector in the form of tenders is also included among priorities for the new budgetary period of 2014-2020. These are all important factors for watermelon producers, he added.

(MTI)