Czech farmers are ready to go to Brussels to protest, if the European Commission fails to address their concerns.Continue reading
Balancing the triple bottom line of competitiveness, food self-sufficiency and sustainability is necessary to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of agriculture, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said at a meeting with Glenn Thompson, Chairman of the US Congressional Agriculture Committee, in Washington.
The minister recalled that “extreme weather is a global challenge for our country, which we cannot solve alone, so we rely on allies like the United States.” The use of precision technologies is essential to combat the effects of climate change and meet societal expectations. He added that due to constant change, we can no longer farm the land the way our fathers did, but climate change cannot be blamed on the farming community.
The minister pointed out that
the Hungarian agriculture and food industry are undergoing a fundamental renewal, and the United States once played a major role in the modernization of Hungarian agriculture, which Hungarians would like to build on now as well.
István Nagy also drew attention to the generational change in agriculture. According to him, we need to give a perspective that farming is worthwhile, that it is not just a profession but a way of life. He added that
if young Hungarians learn overseas technologies and build relationships in the United States, they can be even more successful in economic cooperation later on.
It is also essential that the Hungarian Parliament and the Congressional Committee on Agriculture work even more closely together, so that society can be made more aware of the vital role of agriculture and the changes taking place in the agricultural sector. If the economy works well, then agricultural policy is successful, the minister said.
On Wednesday, Nagy also visited Indiana, a key agricultural region of the United States, where he met Governor Eric Holcomb. Indiana is a key state for corn and grain production in the United States, the fifth largest corn producing state in the country and almost the size of Hungary. The minister also highlighted his meeting with the heads of the John Deere agricultural machinery company, which he said could have a positive impact on innovation.
Featured photo via Pixabay