AGRICULTURE

    Hungary, compared the most European countries, is in a peculiar position, since more than 85 % of its territory is suitable for exploitation of soil fertility by silvicultural and agricultural activities. Nowadays two-third of Hungary is under agricultural practice, and the remaining 15 % serves for infrastructure, mining, industrial and military use as well as housing. Owing to this the agricultural sector has a considerable impact on biodiversity.
    Agriculture in Hungary has undergone a considerable recession during the last decade. The economic-political changes caused uncertainly, agrarian cut backs, loss of domestic and foreign markets and reduction in the agrarian subsidies. Gross production decreased by one-third in 1989-1993 followed by a slow increment during in recent years. Production increased in volume slowly in recent years (by 2-5 %, compared to preceding years).
    The distribution of agricultural areas among sectors has changed. Namely, proportions of forestry areas, reed-beds and fishponds have increased by 0.3 %, 2.4 % and 0.4 %, respectively, whereas the area of uncultivated arable land has been enlarged by 188 % in the 1990's. The extent of uncultivated area has increased by 21 %. This was caused by the uncertainly of ownership due to economical-political changes and also the growth of privatisation.

Changes in different cultivation types of Hungary
(1000 ha)
 

Source: KSH Statistical Yearbook , 1996

(see data)

    The increasing environmental problems arising from agriculture originate from changes in consumption habits, improvement of agricultural products, progressive globalisation of markets, green-field investments as well as from the influence of the national and international agrarian policy.
    Although the various contaminating chemicals of agricultural origin threatening biodiversity have decreased in volume, technological backwardness and lack of development still cause a considerable problem. The use of fertilisers has strongly declined, namely, by 83.8 % from 1980 to 1993 (211 kg versus 34 kg per hectare). It has slightly increased throughout recent years. (54 kg per hectare in 1996) The presence of weeds in arable lands increased considerably, probably due to the inappropriate use of herbicides of recent years. The progression in the expected rate of pesticide and fertiliser use should be followed by technical development in any event, since inadequate handling and storage has caused contamination in several cases.

  Mineral fertiliser use in Hungary (1980-1995)
(see data)

    The performance of two major branches (crop production, animal husbandry) was the same till 1997, but then shifted to the opposite direction in 1998: production of crops decreased and animal husbandry increased as compared to 1997. The performance of crop production continued to decline by further 3.4 % in 1998, after a slowdown in 1997. The 1998 volume was 5.9 % higher than in 1994. During the four years fruit production faced the greatest fall, and the greatest rise could be seen in the vegetable production.
    The decreasing trend in the number of livetsock stopped in 1998. According to data relating to 1 December, 1998, the livestock increased as compared to the previous years, in which the reduced fodder prices may also play a role. The expansion occured mainly in livestock of private farmers. In December 1998, 873 thousand cattle were registered, 2 thousand more than one year earlier.
    The pig stock grew by 548 thousand during a year (1997-1998) by 11 % . 55 % of pig stock was bred by privat farmers.
    The sheep stock's decline stopped in 1998, the December stock of 908 thousand heads was 6 % higher than in 1997. 80% of overall stock was kept at private sheep farmers.
    Poultry stock counted 36 million pieces in December 1998, 9,2 % more than in the previous year. Since 1994 the poultry stock decreased by 6.4 % (2.8 million pieces).

    The volume of procurement of agricultural products in tended for direct processing or intermediate sales predominantly slackened in the nineties. In 1998 this volume surpassed the level of the previous year by 4.3 %.

Livestock in Hungary (1990-1997)
(thousand heads)

for more information please send e-mail to contact person:
Mr. Zsombor Baltay
b.zsombor@hotmail.com

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