FARMERS WANT TO DEMONSTRATE

Yesterday in Kecskemét the Self-Defence Movement of Hungarian Farmers and Consumers set up a demonstration committee and they decided to slow the traffic on four roads leading to Budapest on February 23-24.

Miklós Hanó, chairman of the movement said they decided this because the situation of agriculture became untenable and there was no capital at all to relieve it. They will submit a petition to the Premier demanding to dismiss Imre Németh, Minister of Agriculture, and Fülöp Benedek, administrative state secretary who represent the interests of merchants and not those of the farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture suspects political motivations behind the demonstration and Premier Gyurcsány expressed his satisfaction that Hungary had made up for its delay in preparing to enter the EU agricultural market. Zoltán Lengyel MP (Fidesz), head of the agricultural section of his party said the chatter was going on without any palpable results.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó