Hungarian farmers reject EU’s farm policy, launch petition

Hungary’s National Agricultural Chamber (NAK) and farmers’ association Magosz have launched an online petition in support of Hungarian farmers and against Brussels’ “impossible demands” in connection with the EU’s farm policy overhaul, NAK said on Friday.

Explaining the reason for the petition, NAK said in a statement that

left-wing MEPs had ignored member states’ support for their farmers

and halted talks on the reform of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

NAK said “Brussels bureaucrats” and the European Parliament wanted to place “impossible demands” on farmers. The EP’s proposals would put European farmers at a competitive disadvantage against producers outside the bloc, ultimately leading to higher food prices, they said, adding that this would also hurt Hungarian farmers.

NAK and Magosz are calling on the EP not to put European farmers at a disadvantage

and to continue to guarantee proper conditions for producing quality produce, the statement said.

István Nagy, Hungary’s agriculture minister, has said the biggest disagreements over the CAP reform were about questions concerning the funds to be allocated towards environmental and climate protection. He said Hungary’s goal was to strike a balance between the aspects of competitiveness and climate protection. Hungary, he said, was fighting for a funding system that advances sustainability by incentivising farmers rather than penalising them.

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Source: MTI