“Neither our extremely complex agrarian funding system nor tracking, which is a fundamental principle in food production, would be capable of functioning without the general application of information technology, and accordingly it is worth investing in these technologies at both individual and community level”, Deputy State Secretary for Agricultural Economy Zsolt Feldman said in Kecskemét today at a conference entitled Precision Farming and Digital Trends in Agriculture.

Mr. Feldman stressed that the number of funding tenders involving electronification is continuously increasing and provide a serious incentive for the more prolific use of IT equipment.

The Deputy State Secretary also pointed out that electronification and the application of information technology systems is partly gaining ground because of European Union requirements, and partly in the interests of farmers and to facilitate government administration. Modern IT solutions enable the unhindered flow of information between everyone involved in the agricultural economy.

Additionally, they provide faster, more transparent and more easily processed data on market processes and developments, as well as with regard to the ingredients, production methods, origin and route of food products to help consumers.

There is still much to be done with relation to developing the productivity of Hungarian agriculture, especially when compared to the current output of older EU member states. In the 21st century, we have seen huge jumps in development in many countries and economic sectors throughout the world as a result of information technology, and accordingly it is clear that this technology represents an opportunity for Hungarian agriculture with which we may be capable of bridging the gap and begin reducing our productivity deficit at a much faster pace, Mr. Feldman said.

Information technologies contribute significantly to increasing productivity. Using the instruments of precision farming, enterprise and production management systems and integrative technologies leads to reduced expenditure for farmers and a more efficient use of resources (water, energy, fuel, fertiliser, etc.), which corresponds to environmental requirements, including with regard to sustainable development, and facilitates quality production.

And the main prerequisite for advancement is that, in addition to production expertise, farmers should be in possession of the complex knowledge required for the successful application of these technologies, Deputy State Secretary Feldman said in closing.

(Ministry of Agriculture)