Hungarian farmers would face severe losses if the European Union’s next budget were to enter into force in its current form, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said on Monday. In a statement shared on social media and released by the ministry, he stressed that Brussels’ proposal would redirect funds meant for farmers to Ukraine.

Nagy underlined that the achievements of Hungarian agriculture demonstrate the necessity of maintaining the current two-pillar support system and an independent EU agricultural budget. “Brussels’ budget plan belongs in the trash,” he remarked.

The minister pointed out that farmers currently benefit from multiple forms of support, all of which could be jeopardized under the new EU plans. He cited the basic support of more than 55,000 forints per hectare, additional redistributive payments up to 150 hectares, and further 37,300 forints per hectare for young farmers as key examples. Production-linked support reaches as high as 386,000 forints per hectare for intensive fruit cultivation.

He also highlighted national co-financing programs, noting that nearly 25 billion forints have been invested in new plantations and 41 billion in horticultural machinery. Climate-related schemes, including the agri-environmental and organic farming programs, received a combined 410 billion forints.

Nagy emphasized that Hungary’s horticultural sector continues to enjoy robust support, with 637 plantation applications worth almost 56 billion forints submitted this year alone. He concluded that defending EU agricultural funds is essential, stressing: “If implemented as proposed, the 2028 EU budget would ruin farmers. We will not allow this to happen.”