He said Hungarian farmers were opposed to phasing out area-based subsidies as well as to measures outlined in the report to reduce meat consumption.
Papp called for the EC to negotiate with representatives of farm sectors in the Visegrad Group who weren’t included in the process of drafting the report. He also acknowledged measures by the Hungarian government that had benefited farmers. “The Hungarian government has been a committed and good partner of the agriculture sector so far,” he said.
István Jakab, who heads farm association Magosz, called out Hungarian MEPs for applauding a programme that would “ruin European farmers”. He said the report outlined a shift to income-based subsidies and warned that unrestricted imports of Ukrainian farm products to the EU would “wreck the agriculture sector”.
read also:
Foreign workers needed to save Hungarian agriculture?
EU Presidency on agriculture: Hungarian government wants competitive, crisis-resistant and sustainable agricultural sector
It is the Hungarian’s government responsibility to create conditions that allow for feeding the nation. Agriculture should be under national control. EU farm policy must be ignored or if possible, Hungary should opt out.