130-year-old Sopron Brewery

The minister said that as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plan until 2027, the funds allocated to the food and processing industry are approaching 500 billion forints.

He added that Hungarian agriculture is a natural ally of the food industry, because it is important for agriculture that the food industry relies on domestic raw materials to the greatest extent possible.

In making Hungarian agriculture more resilient and versatile, the government also assigns a key role to the revival of previously well-functioning sectors, including hop and barley production, he said.

He detailed that the volume of domestic malting barley production has fluctuated in the last decade, with yields of 4-4.7 tons per hectare on 20-30 thousand hectares per year, ranging from 100-130 thousand tons.

Spring barley production fell sharply in 2022 due to drought and remained below 100 thousand tons in 2023. By 2024, it exceeded 100 thousand tons and this year also shows a favorable value in terms of sowing area, because farmers sowed spring barley on 29 thousand hectares and the weather conditions are also favorable.

Győr-Moson-Sopron county leads the territorial ranking with 5,500 hectares, but there are also larger areas in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Vas, Fejér and Veszprém counties.

Speaking about hop cultivation, he recalled that in the 1980s it was produced in several places on a large scale, but by 2010 it had practically ceased, with only a few small-scale breweries producing special varieties in Hungary.

It was a turning point that a 12-hectare plantation was established in Kastélyosdombó in cooperation with the Hungarian Ecumenical Relief Organization and Heineken, which practically became the center of domestic hop cultivation.