Situation and perspectives of animal husbandry in Hungary

Udovecz, Gábor

The prevention of bankruptcy and further dramatic regression of production should be the task of the producers and the processing entrepreneurs. First of all, the attitude has to be changed: a partnership of reliable cooperation on the long run may substitute the competitive efforts! A collectively designed program of production and marketing strategy with negotiated and fulfilled contracts are important guarantees of keeping aloft. The change of attitude, of course, is only one of the conditions of effectiveness. Farmers should examine their conscience. Farmers should ponder over resources and possibilities comparing them with their antecedent career and recognised facts. The majority is expected to conclude that it is worth while to continue! Many of them is likely obliged to improve the policy of investment, to be more attentive, to resort to more expert consultants than in their earlier practice. Decisions may made to avoid the main frontiers of competition and choose a peculiar solution by offering as a final product e.g. something like a "hungaricum". Not the designation is essential but to win the heart of the consumers (security, quality, publicity) and a professional organisation. Certainly, there will be also losers, who are crowded out from the market. In order to reduce their incidence, however, we need, continuously, the supporting assistance of the state. It is expected that no insufficiencies will appear because there are EU funds and domestic resources too. In the framework of the Sapard program, the calling for tenders of AVOP (Operative Program for Agricultural and Rural Development) offer subsidy to investments in animal husbandry and in some sections of the processing industry. Other programs of the National Development Project stimulate the cooperation of farmers and stock-breeders, marketing, environmental conservation as well as the protection of animals, i.e. the necessary investments meet the respective requirements. Also for the marginalised farmers are assisted to find employment or adequate supplementary income. The "state" is not expected to abandon agricultural policies, animal husbandry included, but its presence and intensity will be modified in de future. It means that the selective effects of the market cannot be counteracted blindly by state subsidies! The state is ready to help those, who know well what to do within the limits of real possibilities!

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