Continuous development can mean the future for Hungarian apples

(Photo: Csaba Pelsőczy)

The head of the ministry pointed out that the past two or three years have imposed unprecedented burdens on agriculture, including apple growing: the coronavirus epidemic, the labor shortage, unfavorable weather conditions, the rising prices of raw materials, fertilizers, plant protection products and energy sources, the Russian The Ukrainian war and the failed Brussels sanctions policy presented Hungarian agriculture with huge challenges, but the government always stands by the farmers. The minister said that in this difficult economic situation, cooperation and joining interprofessional organizations are extremely important. Making the most of the opportunities inherent in the collaboration can now mean the possibility of survival of the enterprises. The conditions for access to the market can be created most effectively through cooperation and community action, and thus the growth of fruit and vegetable consumption can also be increased, he stated.

This is how the investment was implemented

The head of the ministry also spoke about how, in the interest of the sector, the government implemented the Szabolcsi Apple Center investment at the state-owned Magyar Kertészeti Szaporítóanyag Nonprofit Kft.’s site in Újfehértó in the country’s largest apple-growing district. This modern post-harvest, logistics and service complex, built with the involvement of the state, collects, stores, packages the produce of producers and producer groups living in the region, and then sells it in uniform quality according to the needs of the market. With a storage capacity of approximately 10,000 tons and the sorting and sorting infrastructure connected to it, a significant market influence can be achieved with a research and development and specialist consulting background. What works at the apple center in Újfehértó can be exemplary for the entire sector – underlined István Nagy. And this is none other than the triple unit of research, consulting and the application of modern post-harvest technologies. This, as well as continuous development, can mean the future of apple growing. The key to success therefore lies in the producers – he added.

A.M