Intensive agriculture is mainly found in the eastern and south-eastern part of the country, which has fertile loess soils. After the regulation of the Theiß, the longest river of Hungary, and the installation of irrigation systems, wheat and corn are cultivated at large scale.

Agricultural water management usually pursues a double goal: on the one hand, it shall secure the water supply for a modern plant production, on the other, it shall prevent or at least lessen drought damage during dry periods. During the growing period the most important regions in particular lack the necessary precipitation.

The Hungarian agriculture is using the water it is supplied with for irrigation and fish ponds. Up to 1990, water for irrigation was supplied at state-controlled prices. Since then, prices have been deregulated and are supposed to cover the total costs of supply. A similar strategy was also necessary in the case of fish ponds and rice plantations. However, in this context, regularisation of used and polluted water emissions into nature is even more important than of irrigation.

In order to create a basis for the further development of water use in agriculture a few problems have to be tackled in Hungary:

• Development plans for irrigation can only be drawn up after the settling of questions of ownership.
  
• According to a government decision the irrigated surface has to be enlarged by 100,000 ha and refurbishment has to take place in an area of another 100,000 ha.
  
• the water price shall cover the costs of operation, maintenance and development and has to be included in the price for agricultural products.
  
• Treated waste water shall be increasingly used.