The Rural Farmers Network of the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) is conducting a national water demand survey in March. The aim of the survey to be conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture (AM) is to find out the extent to which farmers are willing to conserve water in landscapes in lowland areas suitable for water retention – NAK announced in its announcement.
During the survey, in cooperation with the NAK's Village Farmers Network, farmers' knowledge, demand and willingness will be determined regarding regional water retention solutions, as well as under what conditions farmers can contribute to their implementation – NAK announced.
Professional background for the research is provided by Agrárközgazdasági Intézet Nonprofit Kft., the Irrigation and Water Management Research Center of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the National General Water Directorate. Village farmers visit farmers working in low-lying areas potentially retaining water, identified on the basis of natural, ecological and technical aspects, with a questionnaire consisting of 28 questions.
The pre-determined reduced area of about 40,000 hectares affects 250,000 hectares of agricultural land for about ten thousand farmers. Inactive farmers in these areas can also indicate their needs, and NAK asks them to look for their village farms in this case.
After the survey, the Chamber also assists affected producers by providing professional knowledge and organizing workshops to introduce them to sustainable ecosystem-based regional water management methods. Professional guidelines, legal instruments and support tools – including non-productive investment subsidies for water protection purposes, which will soon be inaugurated under the Common Agricultural Policy – will also help in making informed economic decisions.
Tags:
Irrigation, climate change, farms, opinion, questionnaire, economics
