Characterisation of Hungarian farming system. In Hungary, two different types of agriculture exist in parallel. The first could be called ´market oriented agriculture´.

This consists of mainly large, intensive, commercial farms (the successors of old co-operatives, state farms and some 70 thousand new private businesses) cultivating typically rented land with improved machinery. They give the vast majority of the marketable products produced in Hungary, supplying for export and domestic consumption. This part of agriculture can be competitive on EU and world markets, especially with grain and some industrial plants. The other agriculture is a small scale one, consisting of approximately 1 million small plots. These mini farms produce mainly for self-subsistence and income supplement, using very little or no machinery. Most of their products do not appear in statistics or the taxation system, since they are for self-consumption or are sold locally. However, for many families this traditional agricultural activity is essential. One could state that, ´both agricultures´ are equally important, although for different reasons. Both of them are likely to be influenced by EU accession, and they need different types of policies. Commercial agriculture is likely to be benefited by EU membership, but small scale, income support farming is likely to be threatened by it.