This is how Hungary wants to spend the 13 billion EUR EU aid of the CAP

Hungary’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategy aims at maintaining the balance of sustainability and competitiveness in line with the interests of producers, an official of the ministry of agriculture said on Thursday.

State secretary for agriculture and rural development Zsolt Feldman told a professional meeting at the Herman Ottó Institute in Budapest that the European Commission insisted on making support conditional on meeting certain environmental conditions, but the Hungarian government had also considered economic and social impacts when preparing the system of support.

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Despite some differences between the positions, the CAP talks that will determine the agricultural support system until 2027 are expected to conclude with a compromise that is favourable to Hungary, he said.

Agriculture and food production have become strategic areas in Hungary, and the government wants the sector to become an engine for the economy, he added. Productivity and profitability have significantly improved in recent years, and the nearly 5,400 billion forints (EUR 13bn) worth of support available under the arrangements of CAP represents an unprecedented opportunity for rural Hungary, he said.

Holding consultations as soon as possible about the conditions of support to farmers also serves their interests, Feldman said.