Hungarian Farmers Lead Camel Protest Against Climate Change in Budapest

Hungarian farmers, accompanied by camels, musicians, and performance artists, marched through downtown Budapest to protest the impact of climate change on agriculture. The demonstration aimed to highlight the desertification of Hungary's central agricultural region and called for government action to manage floodwaters and droughts more effectively.

Hungarian farmers took to the streets of downtown Budapest with camels in tow on Thursday, aiming to draw attention to the devastating effects of climate change on the country's agriculture sector.

'The link between camels and the desert is obvious,' said protest organizer Laszlo Kulcsar, who emphasized the growing desertification in Hungary's central Homokhatsag region, a key zone for corn, grain, and sunflower production. Severe droughts have caused billion-dollar losses in recent years.

The group of 60 protesters, supported by musicians and performance artists, urged the government to create a program to utilize excess rainwater and floodwater for irrigation during dry seasons. Economist Gyorgy Rasko noted that the 2022 drought had already resulted in 1000 billion forints ($2.7 billion) in agricultural losses, with similar dry spells occurring this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)