State secretary: War puts pressure on Hungary from two sides

The price increase of energy and fertilisers coupled with the duty-free status granted to Ukrainian produce have radically worsened conditions for farming, so “the war is putting pressure on us from two sides”, an official of the ministry of agriculture said on Thursday.

State secretary for agriculture and rural development Zsolt Feldman told the opening of the 36th Babolna farmer expo in northern Hungary that the country shared the same fate with Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia that face the same problems.

Despite many months of constant reports from the affected countries, Brussels has refused to accept that the many tens of millions of tonnes of Ukrainian produce arriving in European Union markets have caused disruption, he said.

Thanks to the five countries joining forces, Ukrainian products are now banned in their markets, Feldman said. They would like to get the ban extended and the introduction of a railway transit fee for Ukrainian grain deliveries, he added.

If the countries’ joint action is not successful, they will be ready to introduce unilateral national bans, he said.

Read also:

• Slovakia to send 500 soldiers to Hungarian border
• Car and battery production driving force in Hungarian economy