Minister identifies pillars of Hungary’s climate action plan

Support for beekeepers, massive afforestation and development of irrigation were named as important pillars of climate protection measures at a press conference held by István Nagy, Hungary’s minister of agriculture, here on Thursday.

“Applications for support from the National Beekeeping Program can be submitted from Thursday, in an amount close to 1.8 billion Hungarian forints (5.76 million U.S. dollars),” Nagy said, adding that the ministry estimated that some 6,500 beekeepers would take part in the program co-financed by the European Union (EU).

“The Ministry of Agriculture is also contributing to climate protection through afforestation and irrigation,” he said.

Afforestation aims to increase the country’s forest area to 27 percent by 2030, which will require the cultivation of 250,000 hectares.

This can be achieved by planting new trees and converting naturally wooded areas into forests, according to Nagy.