Early flowering ragweed
Monday, 30 April 2007

The Act XXXV/2000 on plant protection provides that  „the land user is obliged to prevent ragweed flower-buds from development before 30 June of the given year, and keep this situation continuously till the end of the growth season.”

Helping the efficient ragweed prevention, land registration authorities identify rural areas threatened by ragweed. Those areas are considered as threatened ones where ragweed contamination from the previous or present year is provable by remote sensing methods.

From July on, land offices will be checking the ragweed contaminated land parcels identified through remote sensing methods, notification or examination of the spot, and forwarding the identification data to the Directorates of Plant and Soil Protection at the competent Specialized Agricultural Administration Office. The Directorates take the necessary actions: they will impose a plant protection fine to those missing the prevention. Depending on the proportion of ragweed contamination, also a prevention of public interest can be ordered, the expenses of which (together with the plant protection fine) should be paid by the land user. The highest amount of the fine can reach HUF 5 million.