Good Practice - Project
Developing Precision Farming in Eastern Hungary
A farm uses CAP funds for the application and integration of precision technologies to increase productivity, reduce costs and promote environmentally friendly farming practices.
General information
RDP Priority
- P2. Competitiveness
RDP Focus Area
- 2A: Farm’s performance, restructuring & modernisation
RDP Measure
- M04: Investments in physical assets
Beneficiary type
- Small-Micro Enterprise
Summary
In 2021, Agro-Tár Ltd. launched a project aimed at developing its precision agriculture equipment fleet, with the objectives of increasing productivity, reducing operational costs and enhancing environmentally friendly farming practices. As part of the project, the company acquired a Väderstad Tempo precision seed drill, equipped with real-time section control and plant population regulation, which significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of sowing operations.
Additionally, the project included the purchase of a drone for visual monitoring of field conditions and a high-performance laptop for processing digital data. Throughout the implementation, the company was supported by AgroDrón Ltd., which provided expert consultancy to ensure the effective application and integration of precision technologies.
As a result of the development, sowing capacity has doubled and sowing accuracy has improved by 14%, contributing to increased crop security and more efficient use of input materials. Beyond strengthening the farm’s competitiveness and sustainability, the investment has also served as a model for the region, encouraging other local farmers to adopt modern agricultural technologies.
Results
- The acquisition of the precision planter has doubled the farm’s sowing capacity, resulting in a significant increase in operational efficiency.
- Sowing accuracy improved by 14%, contributing to enhanced seeding quality and optimised production.
- The farm is now able to sow or harvest any crop type within three to five days, while plant protection and nutrient application treatments can be completed in just one day, substantially improving operational efficiency and responsiveness.
- The adoption of precision technologies has made farming more sustainable and environmentally friendly by promoting more efficient resource use.
- The investment also serves as a model for development in the region, encouraging local farmers to pursue similar technological advancements.
Promoter
Károly Büdi Jr
Funding
Total budget: 284 000 (EUR)
EAFRD: 98 600 (EUR)
National/Regional: 17 400 (EUR)
Private/own: 168 000 (EUR)
Resources
Links
Context
Agro-Tár Ltd. is a family-run agricultural enterprise currently cultivating approximately 600 hectares in eastern Hungary, within Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. The company’s activities include arable farming, growing crops such as malting barley, wheat, oilseed rape, sunflower, maize, soya, and fodder plants, as well as livestock farming, with a herd of 40 Angus cattle. The enterprise is managed by Károly Büdi Jr., who holds degrees in both mechanical and agricultural engineering and is also a co-founder of AgroDrón Ltd. He has played a pioneering role in introducing precision agriculture technologies in the region, enabling the farm to pursue continuous development.
Over the past fifteen years, the business has undergone significant growth, placing increasing emphasis on innovative, data-driven farming practices. The use of precision tools enables the optimisation of inputs, improves production efficiency, and reduces environmental impact. The current project forms part of a broader development strategy aimed at enhancing competitiveness and sustainability, particularly through the modernisation of sowing technologies.
The improvements made at the farm have not only advanced the operations of the beneficiary itself but have also served as an inspiring example for other farmers in the region. There is growing interest in precision technologies and peers are now following Károly Büdi’s lead by investing in and adopting similar solutions.
Agro-Tár Ltd. has integrated 1 500 to 2 000 hectares of land in the region and centrally provides seed, plant protection products and fertilisers to local partners. By buying back and marketing the harvested crops directly, the company avoids intermediaries and the risk of price skimming. Its products are sold within Hungary. Seeds are distributed locally within the county, while other crops are delivered to national bioethanol and feed processing plants.
Objectives
As part of a grant awarded in 2022 following a successful application in 2021, the enterprise aimed to further develop its precision machinery fleet. The objective was to increase productivity, reduce costs, and promote environmentally friendly farming practices. The investment was also justified by increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, rising input costs and a labour shortage.
The main goals of the development included:
- Modernising and expanding sowing technology to improve the efficiency of crop production.
- Deepening the application of precision farming to enhance production accuracy and optimise the use of inputs.
- Increasing yield stability in the face of changing climatic conditions.
- Enhancing the farm’s competitiveness using a modern machinery fleet.
- Reducing the farm’s environmental footprint by targeted input application technologies.
Activities
- Procurement of Väderstad Tempo precision planter. The planter is a 12-row machine with a 75 cm row spacing, enabling efficient and precise sowing even on larger plots. Equipped with real-time section control, plant population regulation, and seeding depth adjustment, it ensures sowing accuracy, thereby optimising input usage and increasing yield security.
- Procurement of a drone. The drone acquired as part of the project is used for visual monitoring of crop fields, supporting farm management decisions and enabling more efficient field operations.
- Procurement of a high-performance laptop for processing precision data. The laptop purchased for the project is used to process data collected by the drone, as well as data from other digital sources. It facilitates faster and more accurate decision-making in daily farming operations.
- Use of precision agriculture consultancy services. Through a consultancy service provided by Agro Drón Ltd. over a period of approximately five years, the farmer received expert support in operating new precision tools, interpreting geospatial data, and fine-tuning precision farming practices.
Main results
- The acquisition of the precision planter has doubled the farm’s sowing capacity, resulting in a significant increase in operational efficiency.
- Sowing accuracy improved by 14%, contributing to enhanced seeding quality and optimised production.
- The farm is now able to sow or harvest any crop type within three to five days, while plant protection and nutrient application treatments can be completed in just a single day, substantially improving operational efficiency and responsiveness.
- The adoption of precision technologies has made farming more sustainable and environmentally friendly by promoting more efficient resource use.
- The investment also serves as a model for development in the region, encouraging local farmers to pursue similar technological advancements.
Key lessons
- Importance of understanding the funding system rules. The farm aimed to procure a fertiliser blending trailer as part of the project's grant application. Such equipment would have enabled on-site blending of mono-fertilisers at the field edge, allowing for the creation of custom fertiliser mixes tailored to each field’s specific needs. However, this type of equipment was still classified as a general-purpose trailer and so it was not eligible for funding.
- Impact of geopolitical events on agricultural technology - The farm operates a meteorological station that provides essential weather data to support day-to-day farming decisions. However, following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war, commercial passenger flights ceased over Eastern Hungary. These flights had previously contributed valuable atmospheric data. Additionally, GPS signal quality has deteriorated due to the repurposing of many satellites for military operations, resulting in a reduced availability of reliable data for agricultural applications. This situation has made precision farming more challenging and highlights how global geopolitical developments can unexpectedly impact the effectiveness of agricultural technologies.
Precision farming doesn’t start with buying machines – it starts with being there when the plants need us.