"Helping young people is an important area of rural development policy, since running Hungarian agriculture would be inconceivable without young farmers", said Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas on Monday at the press conference organised to herald the Young Farmers' Information Exchange.

He added, "The Ministry of Rural Development and the Hungarian Association of Young Farmers (Agrya) have worked together several times prior to this event so that young farmers are able to perform their work under the best possible conditions. The aim of this information exchange is also to encourage young people to become involved in farming, and to enable those young people who have chosen farming as their career may find it easier to get ahead."

The Minister reminded those present that the new Land Act, which is currently before Parliament, was also discussed in advanced with Agrya so that in future young farmers may be able to acquire land that is suitable for farming according to more favourable conditions.

Executive Chairman of Agrya Lajos Mikula told the press that young farmers must be helped not only to purchase machinery and various devices, technology and technical equipment, but they must also be provided with additional knowledge to enable them to perform their work more efficiently. For this reason, it is his opinion that more attention that thus far must be paid to professional advice, the support of apprentice programs, and t the organisation of various professional field trips so that the knowledge base of young farmers increases.

It is for this reason that Agrya is organising the Young Farmers' Information Exchange between 15-29 November at five venues, where young farmers will be able to exchange their opinions on current topics that interest them within an organised but informal framework.

Lajos Mikula also mentioned the fact that Agrya's programme entitled Vidékkaland ("Rural Adventure") has a good chance of achieving an excellent result on the communications tender launched to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)