Agriculture Ministry: Food security dependent on reducing energy prices

The sector increasingly hinges on knowledge-intensive technologies, and the future and competitiveness of Hungarian agriculture largely depends on providing further relevant training opportunities for rural inhabitants, Oszkar Okros, the ministry’s deputy state secretary for international relations, told an OECD meeting of agriculture ministers entitled Building sustainable agricultural and food systems in a changing environment, a Ministry of Agriculture statement said.

The deputy state secretary said common challenges included boosting agricultural productivity while jointly implementing climate protection measures. This requires adapting to climate conditions by making better informed planting choices. But doing so requires close social cooperation between farmers and consumers, including changing consumption and production habits, he added.

A well-trained workforce and the successful transfer of skills is key to the success of Hungary’s agricultural sector, Okros told the meeting.

Hungary is paying higher advances on EU direct subsidies, making cheap working capital loans available for agricultural enterprises, and postponing loan repayments linked to working capital and investments from September 2022 to December 2023, among other measures, the statement said.