Minister Takac: Agriculture Ministry Achieved Record Spending Last Year

Bratislava, 30 June (TASR) - In 2024, the Agriculture Ministry achieved its highest-ever fund utilisation, exceeding €209 million, thanks to accelerated processes driven by systemic measures within the ministry and the Agricultural Payment Agency, Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) said at a press conference on Monday. The minister criticised fund utilisation under the previous governments of Igor Matovic, Eduard Heger, and Ludovit Odor. “In 2021, the Matovic government used €45 million through the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) and the Rural Development Programme (RDP). In 2022, under the Matovic-Heger government, €39 million was utilised. In 2023, under the Heger-Odor government, €64 million was utilised,” said Takac. The minister emphasised that under the current government of Robert Fico (Smer-SD), a record-high amount of over €209 million was utilised last year. Additionally, as of the end of June this year, fund utilisation is expected to reach €153 million, which, according to Takac, already exceeds the total amount drawn over the previous three and a half years combined. “When the Matovic government took office in 2020, the previous administration handed over Rural Development Programme fund utilisation ranked 17th out of 27 EU countries. Do you know what they handed over to us in 2023? Last place—27th,” said the agriculture minister, adding, “This is a live demonstration of the total incompetence of the people who governed us for three and a half years,” said the minister. lin/mcs