“We are protecting the interests of Hungarian farmers in negotiations with Brussels; farmers must continue to be the main beneficiaries of agricultural funding. The most important work with elation to drawing up the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2020-2027 is currently underway in Brussels”, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas said on Hungarian M1 television’s “This Morning” show and Kossuth Radio’s “180 Minutes” program on Wednesday.
“Hungarian agricultural diplomacy is doing everything possible to assure that the EU has a strong Common Agricultural Policy with a suitable budget following 2020”, Mr. Fazekas stressed. “In recent years, Hungarian agriculture has gained strength and achieved continuous growth thanks also to EU funding; in 2016 its output exceeded 2619 billion forints (EUR 8.4bn). Agricultural exports have increased by 37.5 percent over the past six years, while the foreign trade surplus has increased by 34.9 percent. 217 thousand people are now working full time within the sector, and increase of 44.2 thousand since 2010”, the Minister said, listing the sector’s achievements. “The opposition has no agricultural policy, it has no agrarian Politian’s and it has no idea with regard to what results of EU agricultural policy must under all circumstances be retained during the next programming period”, the Minister said.
“The Commission’s standpoint on the post-2020 CP will be published at the end of November, and will determine agricultural goals and funding for almost a decade to come. It is extremely important to us that funding continues to be received by farmers, because this is the only way we can continue to produce in a competitive manner”, Mr. Fazekas said, adding “Although agricultural producers receive the funding, its benefits are enjoyed by all food consumers: without funding, food prices would be much higher”.
With relation to Hungarian agricultural interests, Mr. Fazekas confirmed: “We continue to regard the CAP goals set down in the European Union’s Basic Treaty as being in force. We are against these being changes or supplemented with new goals, for instance with relation to migration. Following the Russian embargo, the European Union cannot repeat the mistake of making farmers pay for mistaken EU decisions”.