Coronavirus – Food supplies secure in Hungary

Food supplies are secure in Hungary and will remain so in the coming months despite the novel coronavirus epidemic, the government said on its koronavirus.gov.hu website.

All efforts are being made to maintain undisturbed supplies and strict action will be taken against those that overcharge for food products, the website added.

Hungary’s agriculture and food industry are capable of supplying 25 million people and more than 80 percent of base materials are produced domestically, it said.

The government has taken measures to improve conditions for public road freight transport and retail trading. Ministries involved in food supplies maintain continual contacts with players in the sector, professional organisations and distributors in order to learn about any difficulties that may arise, it added.

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The Ministry of Agriculture has asked local councils not to close down local farmers’ markets but keep opening times flexible and introduce protective measures to prevent the concentration of shoppers in peak hours.

Ever since the introduction of the state of emergency, the consumer protection authority has been checking the price history and price calculation of the most in-demand goods, such as nonperishable foods, disinfectants and household paper products, the website said. Considering that there is no shortage of goods, general price increase is not justified beyond the growth of producer prices, it added.

The Ministry of Agriculture wants to help manage negative sectoral effects by accelerating the payment of agricultural subsidies, the website said. It has also prepared a package of proposals for the European Commission to review EU subsidy rules.

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Source: MTI