Spoetnik
25-02-05, 13:10
Hungarian farmers descend on Budapest to demand EU payments
22/02/2005
Disgruntled Hungarian farmers descended with hundreds of tractors on Budapest Tuesday to demand that the government pay what they claim are overdue agricultural subsidies.
Farmers parked more than 500 tractors on a major square in the capital in a show of force before holding a protest in front of parliament, where they handed a list of demands to government officials.
"We have yet to receive our EU land subsidies and meanwhile we have to pay our creditors," said Csaba Nemes, a farmer who grows wheat and corn on 240 hectares near Szekesfehervar, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Budapest.
"I also could not sell my crop at the price guaranteed by the EU," he said, standing by his tractor. "How are we supposed to compete like this with the rich farmers of western Europe," he asked.
Stung by the criticism, Agriculture Minister Imre Nemeth admitted on Tuesday that the ministry should work faster in judging applications.
"I am also dissatisfied with the agency disbursing the funds and I also feel we have to accelerate the processing of applications," Nemeth told MTI national news agency.
At the same time, the government says most farmers have received their payments, including European Union land subsidies, while only a minority who filed incorrect applications are still waiting for disbursements.
More than three out of four Hungarian farmers have already received the land subsidies, which are 35,000 forint (144 euros,188 dollars) per hectare of land, according to Andras Dekany, spokesman for the agricultural ministry.
"According to the latest information 160,000 of the registered 208,000 agricultural workers in Hungary have received their land subsidies," Dekany told AFP.
"The other disbursements have been held back because one out of four applications filed were incorrect, most of them because the cultivated land was overstated," he said.
Dekany said some 500,000 hectares had been overstaded for land subsidies.
The EU pays 70 percent of the land aid while the Hungarian government is responsible for the rest.
The government has until April to pay out the land subsidies, although Dekany said the farmers would receive their aid by March.
Another sticking point between farmers and government is the intervention price, the price at which the European Commission guarantees to buy products from farmers.
For grains, the intervention price is 101 euros per tonne this year, Dekany said, adding that these purchases are only made in late May.
Farmers, faced with bumper crops after a record harvest last year, have complained that they had nowhere to store their the grains until then and instead were forced sell at a lower price.
One year ago in February farmers also staged protests, blocking roads around Budapest and demanding more state subsidies without which they feared they could not survive in the European Union.
Hungary joined the EU in May last year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/050222144959.4on8syc0
Weg met het Europese fascisme. De EU is niet democratisch en zal het ook nooit worden, en deze economische uitbuiting van arme boeren dient onmiddelijk te stoppen.
22/02/2005
Disgruntled Hungarian farmers descended with hundreds of tractors on Budapest Tuesday to demand that the government pay what they claim are overdue agricultural subsidies.
Farmers parked more than 500 tractors on a major square in the capital in a show of force before holding a protest in front of parliament, where they handed a list of demands to government officials.
"We have yet to receive our EU land subsidies and meanwhile we have to pay our creditors," said Csaba Nemes, a farmer who grows wheat and corn on 240 hectares near Szekesfehervar, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Budapest.
"I also could not sell my crop at the price guaranteed by the EU," he said, standing by his tractor. "How are we supposed to compete like this with the rich farmers of western Europe," he asked.
Stung by the criticism, Agriculture Minister Imre Nemeth admitted on Tuesday that the ministry should work faster in judging applications.
"I am also dissatisfied with the agency disbursing the funds and I also feel we have to accelerate the processing of applications," Nemeth told MTI national news agency.
At the same time, the government says most farmers have received their payments, including European Union land subsidies, while only a minority who filed incorrect applications are still waiting for disbursements.
More than three out of four Hungarian farmers have already received the land subsidies, which are 35,000 forint (144 euros,188 dollars) per hectare of land, according to Andras Dekany, spokesman for the agricultural ministry.
"According to the latest information 160,000 of the registered 208,000 agricultural workers in Hungary have received their land subsidies," Dekany told AFP.
"The other disbursements have been held back because one out of four applications filed were incorrect, most of them because the cultivated land was overstated," he said.
Dekany said some 500,000 hectares had been overstaded for land subsidies.
The EU pays 70 percent of the land aid while the Hungarian government is responsible for the rest.
The government has until April to pay out the land subsidies, although Dekany said the farmers would receive their aid by March.
Another sticking point between farmers and government is the intervention price, the price at which the European Commission guarantees to buy products from farmers.
For grains, the intervention price is 101 euros per tonne this year, Dekany said, adding that these purchases are only made in late May.
Farmers, faced with bumper crops after a record harvest last year, have complained that they had nowhere to store their the grains until then and instead were forced sell at a lower price.
One year ago in February farmers also staged protests, blocking roads around Budapest and demanding more state subsidies without which they feared they could not survive in the European Union.
Hungary joined the EU in May last year.
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/050222144959.4on8syc0
Weg met het Europese fascisme. De EU is niet democratisch en zal het ook nooit worden, en deze economische uitbuiting van arme boeren dient onmiddelijk te stoppen.