Takac: 97 percent of Direct Payments Paid to Farmers by End of May

Bratislava, 5 June (TASR) - More than 97 percent of direct payments under the 2024 programme had been paid to farmers by the end of May 2025, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac, who was deputising for Premier Robert Fico (both Smer-SD), stated in Parliament during Question Time on Thursday. According to Takac, European regulations stipulate that 95 percent of the payments should be paid by the end of June without penalties. "In over 20 years of advance payments (for direct payments), farmers received a record amount before 1 December 2024, more than half of the volume of money, i.e. more than €300 million. For the first time ever, at the end of May 2025 we had more than 97 percent of direct payments paid before 30 June," stated the minister. Takac was answering a question from MP Jan Mazgut (Smer-SD), who wanted to hear from the prime minister how the government supported Slovak farmers in 2024 and what changes it was planning for 2025. am/df