Agriculture Minister meets Indiana governor, John Deere executives

Nagy and Holcomb met in Indianapolis, capital of Indiana, the fifth largest corn producer in the US and a key grain supplier, the minister told MTI in an interview after the talks.

Nagy also met Don Lamb, the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, farmers’ representatives and researchers, the ministry said. Nagy and Lamb discussed the challenges farmers are facing in their countries. Nagy said European agriculture was in difficulties due to the war in Ukraine. They also touched on issues of irrigation, and various solutions employed in their respective countries.

He also met Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales.

In talks with leaders of the Indiana Farm Bureau, they discussed extreme weather in Hungary, the subsequent drought and the issues caused by a glut of Ukrainian grain on eastern European markets. “We are also very interested in Indiana experiences on the change of generation in agriculture. We have a vested interest in offering young people attractive prospects in the sector,” he said.

The minister met teachers and experts at Purdue University, and discussed issues on higher education and agriculture technology.

Nagy then travelled to Chicago, Illinois, to meet company representatives with an aim to boost economic cooperation with Hungary.

He praised his meeting with executives of John Deere, a manufacturer of agricultural machines, saying that cooperation could foster innovation in precision technologies, a method to reduce the use of chemicals in the sector and so contribute to animal welfare and sustainability.

The talks also touched on investment opportunities and development in Hungary. “We are at the forefront of using precision tech, and we would like to expand cooperation,” he said.