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| The challenges for the agri-food industry will be enormous in the coming years |
| Bratislava, 18.11.2024 |
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| The challenges for Slovak agriculture and food industry will be enormous in the coming years and will also be based on the level of various conflicts in the world. This was stated for TASR by Jana Holéciová, spokesperson for the Slovak Chamber of Agriculture and Food (SPPK), on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
"We are not supporters of the idea of 'food as a weapon', so the European Union (EU) must ensure stable food production with its decisions. In the conditions of the Slovak Republic, this stability can be achieved in synergy with long-term and stable state support for Slovak agri-food companies and the reduction of bureaucracy," she explained.
Given the current situation in Europe and the world, the need to provide food for Europeans and mitigate the climate crisis, it is clear that a decisive period is coming for the Slovak agri-food industry, according to Holéciová"Possible enlargement of the EU in the future, ensuring trade flows of agricultural commodities with third countries, the EU's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and adaptation to climate change are the decisive challenges to which the production of Slovak food will have to be addressed. If we want to have a strong and competitive food production sector, it is necessary to have a strong and stable level of state aid, including the food processing sector, and an equally stable business environment," she underlined.
She pointed out that the EU will in the near future address whether trade with third countries, including agri-food commodities, will be intensified. "The Mercosur agreement with Latin American countries, if approved, will bring a significant risk for Slovak food producers of new imports of cheap products that were produced under lower safety standards than those in the EU. This will significantly reduce our competitiveness on the EU market," she emphasized."Unfortunately, unpredictable weather and damage to agricultural production have become a standard of Slovak agriculture. Therefore, the challenge for our growers, but also for the state, will be to what extent it will be possible to introduce new bred varieties into cultivation, how the state will finance the renewal of irrigation systems and their expansion. Effective water management, water capture in the landscape, pest control, but also strong science and research must be part of adaptation to new natural conditions," she noted.
According to Holéciová, a separate chapter is the environmental requirements of the European Commission for food production. "In our opinion, it is unthinkable that the Union on the one hand increases green demands on European food producers and, on the other hand, relaxes trade barriers for imports of products from third countries. The SPPK will also point out these aspects and the resulting risks in the next period, not only at home, but also as part of the discussion at the European level," added the SPPK spokesperson.
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Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
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