István Nagy, the minister of agriculture, said that striking a balance of competitiveness, food self-sufficiency and sustainability is key to the long-term success and sustainability of Hungary’s agriculture.
“Extreme weather has posed challenges to Hungary that we cannot solve on our own, and we are counting on allies such as the US,” the minister said at a meeting with Representative Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, the Republican Leader of the US Congress’s Agricultural Committee in Washington, D.C. Precision technology is inescapable to “master the effects of climate change and to satisfy society’s expectations,” he said. “The constant changes [in climate] make it impossible to farm the land the way our ancestors did. The blame for climate change cannot be laid at the door of farmers. We need allies and friends to protect them. We can’t put food supplies at risk, but we must ensure a liveable environment for our grandchildren,” he said. Hungary’s agriculture is undergoing fundamental change, and the US has helped the modernisation of Hungary’s agriculture earlier, he said. Farming must be made attractive to young people, and learning overseas technologies and building international networks may be key to the success of young professionals, he said. Closer cooperation between Hungary’s parliament and the House Agriculture Committee may be an effective way to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture and of the changes in the sector, he said. Nagy invited Thompson to visit Hungary.
Photo credit: Facebook/Nagy István