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The government will provide compensation to pig farmers in areas subject to restrictions due to foot-and-mouth disease, the Ministry of Agriculture announced in a statement on Thursday.
All farmers who keep pigs for slaughter in areas subject to restrictions due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and who were only able to sell their animals at a price lower than the officially established average market price are eligible for support. The compensation may cover up to 40 percent of the price difference. Claims must be submitted to the district offices.
The statement pointed out that
thousands of pigs ready for slaughter could not be slaughtered in Hungary due to the foot-and-mouth disease. If a farmer sells their animals to the slaughterhouse at a price lower than the market average, they may be entitled to the compensation.
The application must be accompanied by a copy of the veterinary certificate “Animal Health Certificate from the Farm” specified in the decree on animal health rules for the domestic transport of live animals.
Compensation has already started, with 25 applications so far received from pig farmers.
The government’s goal is to compensate all affected farmers efficiently and quickly and to mitigate the economic damage caused by foot-and-mouth disease.
The Minister of Agriculture said on his social media page that the measure affects pig farmers in certain districts of Győr-Moson-Sopron and Komárom-Esztergom counties, as well as Vas and Veszprém counties. István Nagy asked all livestock farmers to continue to strictly comply with the precautionary measures ordered due to the virus. They should remain vigilant and disciplined in protecting their own animals and other farms, Mr. Nagy added.
Máté Koncz, president of the National Association of Agricultural Cooperatives and Producers, said that everyone is currently preoccupied with managing the epidemic, while the entire Hungarian livestock sector is in crisis, and in many cases, heading towards bankruptcy. The fundamental reason for this is that the export markets have closed, for which those who imposed the restrictions cannot be blamed, as everyone is cautious in such situations and is protecting their own markets. He highlighted that due to the closures, more than 100,000 pigs have accumulated in the restricted areas, causing huge additional costs for producers due to overstocking. Furthermore, pigs weighing up to 180 kilograms are now feared to literally not fit in the farms.
Via MTI, Featured photo via Pixabay
