Two Kiskunhegyes families with several children received the 99,999th and one-hundred thousandth sack of seed potatoes on Saturday, within the framework of the Ministry of Rural Development's Subsistence Farming Programme. The 30kg sacks of potatoes were presented to the middle-aged couples, who live in difficult social circumstances, by the head of the Ministry, Sándor Fazekas.

850 local governments have joined the programme designed to re-popularise home gardening, and these authorities surveyed their municipalities to see who should receive the sacks of Hungarian seed potatoes, based on their financial status. In return, families undertake to return a sack of potatoes from the crop to the programme, meaning other families will also be able to begin subsistence farming, Sándor Fazekas told Hungarian news agency MTI after the presentation ceremony.

A total of 120 thousand families, who do not have enough money to buy 20-30 kilogram's of seed potatoes all at once, and who are thus forced to buy small quantities for planting in shops at hugely inflated prices, will receive free sacks of seed potatoes, the Minister added.

Minister Fazekas indicated that growing potatoes is only the first step in the Subsistence Farming Programme, and preparation of further measures is already underway, possibly including commencing pig and poultry rearing or the cultivation of medicinal plants or vegetables with state help.

(MTI, Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)