Hungarian farmers continue investing in developments, despite difficulties

A recent survey found that while almost all farmers faced difficulties in the past year, an overwhelming majority is planning to invest more in their farms

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Farminar 3 - Organic Waste Utilization: From Trash to Treasure

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A rustic wooden farm gate in a rural environment
Beeld: ©Kevisnphotos

A recent survey by the agricultural news portal Agroinform found that while almost every Hungarian farmer experienced difficulties in the past year, the overwhelming majority of them is committed to investing into development or modernization in some form.

The survey was titled Information gathering and decision support in agriculture and had a sample size of 1350 which can be considered representative of the farmer population.

14% of the responders work at a company or a non-profit organization, 14% are individual entrepreneurs and 70% are farmers (individual small producers or a members of a family farm).

The challenges that farmers faced in the past year have been diverse and were connected to a range of issues from economic problems through the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate:

  • 84% reported problems stemming from climate change (e.g. drought, hail)
  • 61% reported an increase in input costs (e.g. the cost of raw materials and labor)
  • 30% complained about low producer prices
  • 22% faced the issue of labor shortages
  • 17% struggled with machinery malfunctions
  • 12% had issues with input supply chain disruptions (e.g. raw material shortages, logistical delays)
  • 11% suffered from problems connected to the COVID-19 crisis (pandemic measures, infections)
  • 10% had sales difficulties (e.g. drops in demand, logistical problems)
  • 10% had problems stemming from phytosanitary or veterinary measues
  • 8% had financing issues in production
  • 3% did not face any challenges.

Despite these issues, an overwhelming majority of farmers said that they will continue developing their farms.

77% reported that they are planning further developments in the mid-term (2-3 years), 18% of them are planning to rent out their properties, 2% are planning to sell their holdings and 3% are planning on partially or fully terminating their operations.

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Aerial photo of the River Danube at Kisoroszi, Hungary.
Beeld: ©Bence Balla-Schottner

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