Hungary: Spring frosts threaten fruit trees, FMD continues to spread

FMD spreads: Infections confirmed at two more sites in Hungary

On Wednesday, April 2, news sources reported and the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH) confirmed the presence of foot-and-mouth disease at two more cattle farms, in the villages of Darnózseli and Dunakiliti, in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, North-West Hungary.

The first case of FMD was identified in Hungary on March 7, to which authorities responded rapidly, and a few days later, the European Commission implemented interim measures for the regulation of livestock transports and barriers of trade. By March 18, it seemed that the livestock disease had, perhaps, been contained in Hungary, but the same time, the first cases appeared in Slovakia, in three villages north of Győr-Moson-Sopron county and close to the first outbreak, just over the River Danube. On March 26, a second infection was confirmed in Hungary, in Levél, 50 kilometers from the first site of the outbreak.

By March 29, measures had been put into place to contain the second outbreak, however, the culling of the animals at the second infection site, in Levél, had been delayed due to weather conditions – The rain made it hard to dig a burial pit for the carcasses in time. Also, locals started protesting „the culling of healthy animals, and the local burial of diseased ones,” Telex.hu reported. Local residents organized a forum and started a petition „for the protection of healthy animals,” protesting the mandatory slaughter of household livestock. The portal reported that, while throughout the day on March 29, NÉBIH had communicated that the culling of household backyard animals was mandatory, by the evening, the authority modified the measure from mandatory to recommended.

The two new infections identified on Wednesday, April 2, occurred at cattle farms where samples had been taken before. Both on March 11 and on March 21 the samples from the farms had tested negative for the disease. The two farms together hold 2,500 heads of cattle. New protection and observation areas have been set up around the farms.

Sheep sector hit by economic effects but export continues

The foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has also had an economic fallout in Hungary, which hit the sheep sector hard. Economx.hu reports that sheep farmers have suffered economic damages amounting to €3.75 million due to the FMD outbreak. The price of lamb has dropped by approximately 20%, as the previous price of €6.29 per kilogram before the outbreak fell to €4.79/kg last week.

The portal quoted Dávid Mezőszentgyörgyi, managing director of the Sheep and Goat Sector Interprofessional Organization, who stated in an interview with InfoRádió that on Friday, March 28, Austria and Slovenia introduced restrictions on sheep exports. However, these countries do not prohibit transit, meaning that transport towards Hungary’s main export market, Italy, is still allowed without unloading, provided that strict veterinary regulations and disinfection procedures are followed.

Mr. Mezőszentgyörgyi also said that demand for Hungarian lamb has not decreased, but there is uncertainty in the market. Hungarian farmers export 100 to 150 thousand lambs abroad during the Easter period, depending on demand. There is a good chance that they will exceed 100 thousand heads again this year, but the final balance can only be assessed after the holidays, the expert said.

The spring has two holiday periods, Christian Easter, and Muslim Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, both of which are peak export periods for the Hungarian lamb sector. Europe’s growing Muslim communities are prime buyers of Hungary’s lamb, last year Agrárszektor.hu reported that this also made Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands export markets in the spring period. There is no update yet on the expectations in these markets this year however.

Precision breeding, a key area for Hungarian seed manufacturers

On Tuesday, April 1, the Seed Association Interprofessional Organization and Product Council held a press conference on precision breeding. The organization’s professional position is that new varieties are needed to maintain competitiveness, specifically those that are more resistant to environmental stress and pathogens. The approval of precision breeding, which is currently in the legislative phase in the European Union, will play a significant role in achieving this goal, the organization stated.

Géza Takács, the president of the organization, spoke at the press conference about the steep rise in temperatures in recent years and the fluctuations in annual precipitation levels. The expert also discussed how, in the highly export-oriented sector (which is considered the “first strategic step” of the agroeconomy), more than 100 different species and nearly 1,500 varieties of seeds are propagated and certified each year. The value of seeds sold domestically and abroad amounts to approximately €520 million, Mr. Takács added.

Mr. Takács emphasized the importance of developing resistant plant varieties and hybrids, highlighting precision breeding as a “scientific breakthrough that supports the sustainable success of Hungarian agriculture”.

Spring frosts threaten horticulture

Meteorology forecasts project a dramatic cold snap over the weekend, with as high as 10-12°C temperature decreases. This highlights the danger that changing climate patterns, caused by global warming, pose to horticulture.

Agrárszektor.hu reported on the dangers ahead in this year’s spring season, in an interview with Ferenc Apáti, head of Hungary’s leading fruit and vegetable growers’ alliance, FruitVeB.

The vegetation period begins two to three weeks earlier than it did 20–30 years ago, the expert said, which exposes the most sensitive parts of fruit trees to spring frosts. According to Mr. Apáti, producers have access to 8–10 different frost protection technologies, all of which boil down to the same two core methods: heating near the fruit crops and air circulation.

Last year, severe frost damage affected apricots, while peaches experienced partial and less significant losses. For other fruit crops, the direct impact of spring frosts couldn’t be clearly determined, as harvest yields also depend on factors such as the previous year's temperature, and rainfall.

Between July and September last year, an intense 70-day heatwave and drought reigned in Hungary, which severely impacted fruit trees, according to Mr. Apáti. Even orchards that are now blooming may have questionable flower quality and condition due to last year’s weather stress. Climate damage affects not only yields but also fruit quality, and this year’s early March frosts could further impact the harvest. Mr. Apáti emphasized that expectations for fruit quality on the market are high, fruits with poor appearance or small size won’t make it to the fresh market.