Agrarium 2024

Are you a smallholder? Or have you started farming recently? You can now participate in the outstanding spring agricultural event, the Agrarium 2024 conference in Kecskemét on March 19th, with a 50% discount.

Please, fill out the following form, and Portfolio’s professional team will assess your claim so that you can redeem your discounted ticket.

If you have filled out the form, save it and send it to kistermeloikedvezmeny@portfolio.hu.
The subject of the letter: Portfolio Agrarium 2024 – smallholder application

You can access the form by clicking here.

Last year, domestic agricultural operators received record levels of agricultural support; however, in a still uncertain market and economic environment, it is crucial that they continue to have access to the support funds rightfully due to them this year. The session will look at what important changes farmers need to be prepared for in this year's unified electronic support application period. It also highlights the most significant changes to the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct aid rules under each pillar. There will also be a discussion on the professional assistance available to beneficiaries in obtaining subsidies and the criteria used by the Hungarian State Treasury, acting as a paying agency, in conducting audits related to support payments.

- What are the most significant regulatory changes this year for CAP direct payments under each pillar?
- How much per hectare can the basic aid and the redistribution aid be?
- How are the conditions of the Agri-environmental Programme (AEP) changing?
- How much can crop and livestock farmers expect to receive in coupled support?
- What changes can be expected in this year’s period for submitting electronic applications?
- How much additional income support can young farmers receive?
- According to what criteria does the Hungarian State Treasury carry out subsidy checks?
- What regulatory and administrative changes could make it easier for farmers to access support?

The Ministry of Agriculture has set out a timetable for launching the long-awaited new calls for proposals under the EU-Hungarian co-financed Rural Development Programme. This session will outline the upcoming calls for proposals that agricultural businesses can anticipate in 2024, detailing the purposes and the respective amounts they can apply for. The experts will also explain how implementation, evaluation, and payment criteria are changing and what industry players need to do to submit successful proposals. Another important topic of the session will be how the macroeconomic environment, which is also a key factor for agricultural enterprises, can affect the financing possibilities of market players. As expected, the economy may return to a stable growth trajectory, and inflation has noticeably decreased; thus, borrowing conditions could become more favourable. However, the decline in profitability may complicate access to credit for agricultural market participants. The roundtable will discuss the financing situation of the Hungarian agricultural sector, how the interest and other conditions of agricultural loans may change, what new loan products and financing requirements banks are introducing to the market, and what subsidised or discounted agricultural loan schemes agricultural enterprises can expect.

- What are the new calls for proposals under the Rural Development Programme this year?
- How much funding is available under the new Rural Development Programme?
- Which sectoral actors have the best chance of competing in the new rural development tenders?
- What will be the main criteria for the submission, assessment, and payment of applications?
- What professional and advisory assistance is available to help agricultural businesses prepare and submit applications?
- What macroeconomic environment can domestic agricultural and food businesses expect in 2024?
- Under what terms and conditions can agricultural businesses access short- and long-term loans in 2024?
- What characterises the new banking products and requirements in agricultural lending?
- What subsidised or discounted loans can agricultural businesses use?

What cost conditions, purchase prices, and sales and market opportunities can farmers in the main livestock sectors expect this year? – This is one of the main themes of the session, which will focus on the expected profitability situation of the livestock sector in 2024. In addition, experts will review the regulatory changes and support opportunities that could have a decisive impact on the successful management of livestock farmers this year and analyse current animal health issues related to avian influenza, swine fever, and dairy hygiene. The session will prominently focus on the challenges related to the feed industry this year, including the expected development of feed prices and technological solutions, formulations and product developments that will allow more efficient feeding.

-- How can key cost drivers change in the main livestock sectors?
- What purchase prices can livestock farmers expect in 2024?
- What are the main regulatory and support changes affecting livestock farmers this year?
- Which are the largest animal health challenges this year?
- How can feed prices change on the domestic market?
- How can feed efficiency be improved and optimised in today's market and economic conditions?
- What are the latest technological and product developments in animal nutrition?

The big question in the crop sector remains whether the drastic drop in purchase prices will continue this year, or whether there will be a significant price increase on the domestic and international crop markets. Ahead of the spring sowing season, the session will review how cost and price conditions may evolve in key arable crops, and what selling opportunities farmers can anticipate in 2024. The experts answer questions on the prospects for profitability in the crop sector and what farmers should consider when making farming decisions.

- What purchase prices are expected for arable crop production in 2024?
- Which plant species/varieties should be sown in the spring sowing season?
- How might the costs of the main arable crops evolve?
- Which arable crops can make a profit this year?
- What are the main factors affecting cereal prices this year?
- How should producers develop their sales strategy in 2024?
- What is most worth considering when making farming decisions?

The government is submitting a new 'producer protection' legislative package to parliament to improve farmers' bargaining positions against buyers. The session will present and analyse the new regulatory ideas on the agenda and highlight the new tools available to promote a more equitable income distribution in the fields of crop production and livestock. The new regulatory package aims to enable producers to achieve higher selling prices to cover their costs, which can provide them with greater production security than before.

- What does the government's new ‘producer protection’ legislative package entail?
- What tools can be used to strengthen farmers' bargaining power in the market?
- What are the most significant price enforcement problems in the livestock, crop, horticulture and viticulture sectors today?
- How to achieve a fairer and more proportionate distribution of income across the agricultural product chains?
- What do farmers need to do to establish a balance of power against buyers?

What price trends are likely to characterise agricultural input markets this year, and what kind of product offerings can producers expect? – This is one of the main topics of the session, which will cover issues such as fertilisation, seed use, and crop protection. The roundtable discussion will look at how the demands on inputs are changing, what producers need to consider when using them, and how they can make optimal choices in the current market, economic and climatic conditions. The session will also detail the latest product and technological developments in input materials.

- What are the trends in agricultural input markets this year?
- For inputs, what price trends should producers be prepared for?
- How are the requirements for seed use changing?
- What product range and price developments can be expected in the fertiliser market this year?
- How will the conditions for pesticide use change?
- How can farmers make optimal decisions in input management?
- What are the new product and technological developments in the input market?

What are the most important legislative changes affecting food companies in Hungary this year, and how will the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Mandatory Deposit Return System (DRS) related to product packaging affect the management of companies in the industry in 2024? – These are some of the issues that will be the focus of this session, which will also seek to provide practical answers to questions about the new regulatory requirements. In addition, the experts will explore whether the business conditions of industry enterprises could stabilise in 2024 after the drastic fall in production in recent times and whether the slowdown in inflation and the rise in real incomes could halt further contraction in demand for food products. The session will also present how food companies can use financing, support, marketing and other tools to improve their market access opportunities both at home and abroad in the current situation.

- What are the most significant legislative changes affecting the food industry this year?
- How can companies in the industry comply with the new rules on extended producer responsibility and mandatory deposit return?
- Can the fall in consumption in the domestic food market be halted?
- What price and profitability conditions are expected this year in the different food industries?
- How can food companies improve their market access in the current situation?
- What marketing and other tools are available to stabilise and strengthen food market positions?
- How are food retailers' expectations changing in relation to their food industry suppliers?

The rapid pace of technological innovation in agriculture continues, and domestic producers must keep up to date with the latest developments to increase their competitiveness. The session will review the latest trends in the use of precision farming, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence in agriculture and seek to explain how their application can benefit agribusiness management. It will discuss what new mechanical and digital developments farmers can expect to see this year, how they can use drones on their farms, and what the main directions of technical and technological developments in agriculture will be in the coming period.

- What are the main directions for technical and technological developments in agriculture?
- What new precision and digitisation solutions can producers expect to see this year?
- What could be the biggest benefits of using AI in agriculture?
- How to achieve a higher income with precision machinery and agri-digitisation solutions?
- When is it worth using drones in agriculture, and what new regulatory requirements will farmers encounter?
- What trends should be anticipated in agricultural mechanisation, agri-digitalisation, and the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture in the coming period?

Be our guest for a glass of champagne after the technical programme, and don't miss the networking opportunity with conference participants and speakers!