The New Ragweed Reporting System (PBR), which has been in operation since the beginning of this month, enables more efficient defensive action, declared Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas at a presentation of the IT application in Budapest on Monday.

Mr. Fazekas emphasised that the system is important to the Ministry because large numbers of people suffer from Ragweed pollen allergies. The application, which is run by the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih), and which speeds up the processing of reports by the population, aims to make life easier for people with allergies.

The Minister and local authority leaders tested the system in the 11th District on the green area at the corner of Partfutó and Kánai streets in the presence of Minister of State for Sport of the Ministry of Human Resources and the district's MP István Simicskó and members of the press.

Sándor Fazekas drew attention to the fact that the PBR system, which was developed in Hungary, simplifies the flow of information from reporters to the public authorities involved in Ragweed protection activities through the use of an IT interface.

The system makes it possible for anyone with an internet connection, after prior registration, to report areas of land they encounter that are infested with Ragweed. The area's characteristics can also be saved using a mobile phone and photographs of the territory may be included in the report, said László Jordán, Vice President of Nébih in charge of plant, soil and forest protection.

The system can be used not only to report on ragweed-infested areas, but also on successful ragweed liquidation activities, for instance after ragweed has successfully been mowed during the course of public service work activities. The Vice President told Hungarian news agency MTI: Ragweed is the most prolific weed in Hungary today and can be found on at least 5 million hectares throughout the country. It appears practically anywhere that the land is worked by agriculture, but for instance also settles in areas where forests have been cut, almost immediately. This is why it is important to properly organise effective action to cut down the spread of the weed.

(MTI)