Visegrad countries call on EU for unified drought-relief actions

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Visegrad countries call on EU for unified drought-relief actions

2026-09-05 14:04 Last Updated At：09-06 14:44

Representatives from the agricultural and food departments of Visegrad countries -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia -- have called on the European Union to take immediate, unified action and introduce necessary measures to alleviate the impact of the severe drought on farmers.

At the meeting held in Nitra, Slovakia from Thursday to Friday, the representatives discussed issues about the drought and the dairy industry crisis in Europe.

Data released at the meeting showed that Poland's crop output has dropped by at least 20 percent this year, while the Czech Republic has suffered its worst harvest failure in nearly 15 years. The feed shortage caused by reduced crop yields will severely impact the breeding industry.

The representatives stated that it is necessary to take consistent measures across the continent to mitigate the impact of drought and ensure the stability of the European agricultural and food supply systems. They also called for a focus on the issue of drought at the upcoming informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers.

In February 1991, Poland, Hungary and former Czechoslovakia held a meeting at Visegrad Castle in Hungary to enhance cooperation, and established the Visegrad Group. After Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, the number of member states of the group increased from three to four.

New-home sales in Beijing pick up since October

Beijing's new-home market has been brisk since October, with higher turnover.

In some real estate sales offices, customers intending to buy a new home packed the reception areas.

Some property offices receive 200 to 300 groups of clients a day.

"We've found an 80-square-meter apartment we like and plan to sign a letter of intent to purchase it," said a local resident.

Many new-home developments have seen an increase in inquiries and in-person visits, with visitor numbers at some projects nearly doubling compared with September.

"Recently, some prospective buyers have come to view the development in the morning, shown strong interest, and returned that afternoon to sign preliminary letters of intent to purchase. Others have already reached out to us on WeChat to ask about the project's sales progress. We can feel that the market is heating up," said Xiang Xue, a real estate salesperson.

Latest data show that from October 1 to 8, transactions of newly built commercial housing in Beijing totaled 128,400 square meters, up 163 percent year on year.

"Buyers' enthusiasm has risen noticeably, helping turn more prospective interest into actual home purchases," said Wu Jing, director of Tsinghua University's real estate research center.