Hungarian agriculture can be the big winner of the 21st century

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

According to István Nagy, Hungary’s great potential is that it can produce at least twice its own needs from food, but because of this, it needs new sales opportunities and foreign markets. At the same time, the high-quality raw material must be processed domestically so that the profit from it does not go elsewhere, he added. That is why the government decided to supplement EU rural development funds from the budget, tripling the subsidies to help producers, he emphasized. The state contribution creates a never-to-be-returned opportunity for them – he pointed out, indicating that thanks to this, the productivity of Hungarian agriculture could increase by one and a half times, its added value by two times, and the value of its exports by 50 percent by 2030. Greeting the guests of honor at this year’s OMÉK, the Serbian delegation, the minister emphasized that there are great opportunities in cooperation with the neighboring country. The economic relationship between the two countries is also strengthened by the common historical heritage, the shared destiny of the two nations – said István Nagy.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Serbia called OMÉK an extremely important introduction opportunity

Jelena Tanaskovic said: the Serbian exhibitors who came to Budapest can show that a lot has changed in agriculture in recent years, both in Hungary and in Serbia. The Serbian minister welcomed the high-level cooperation and the boom in foreign trade in agricultural products. Its value increased from 159 million euros to 345 million euros between 2018 and 2022, and the development of relations could ensure a further significant increase in turnover. The challenges of the two countries are the same, but closer cooperation would allow Serbia and Hungary to share the results in addition to the difficulties, said the head of the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture.

Balázs Győrffy, the president of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy (NAK), is sure that Hungarian-Serbian agricultural relations are on the verge of significant development

In his speech, he emphasized: like all other countries, the two neighboring states also have a fundamental national interest in sustainable production, competitive agriculture, safe food supply, and the effective use of the necessary tools. He believed that the OMÉK is an excellent opportunity to present these as well as to discuss the challenges or to attract the attention of young people, which is essential for the replacement of professionals. The head of the Chamber of Agriculture welcomed the fact that the Hungarian food industry is increasingly adapting to consumer needs and can count on not only monetary but also social support. Consumer awareness and the demand for locally grown food are a great help to producers, as is online sales, which is why NAK is creating an internet product search service. The site will be available soon, and consumers will be able to browse through products, producers, markets and other shopping opportunities.

On behalf of the organizers, the managing director of the Agrármarketing Centrum (AMC) greeted the guests of the opening

Péter Ondré spoke about how farmland is one of humanity’s most important resources in the 21st century, cultivating it is not just work: it includes the experience of previous centuries, perseverance and expertise. The OMÉK, which will last until Sunday, shows that the Hungarian land and the tools necessary for food production are in good hands, the exhibitors are working to ensure that the supply is safe in the future as well, he added. Péter Ondré announced that 150 international traders from 22 countries will participate in this year’s OMÉK, and the organizers will provide the Hungarian participants with the opportunity to negotiate with them. The event has retained its usual community character this year as well, it will keep its traditional programs again, but with the addition of the export development forum, it now also has national economic significance – emphasized the head of the AMC.

AM Deputy State Secretary: the development of business relations can boost food exports

The development of business relations and the support of contacts between exporters and foreign buyers can boost food exports, said the Deputy State Secretary responsible for agricultural markets of the Ministry of Agriculture (AM) on Friday on the first day of the 81st National Agricultural and Food Exhibition and Fair (OMÉK) at the Hungexpo Congress in Budapest. and Exhibition Center. Tamás Tarpataki believes that Hungarian agricultural exports have developed a lot in the last 10 years, thanks to the almost 350 billion forints that food industry developments received in the previous rural development program and EU grants. In the current EU budget cycle, significant sums are also allocated for such purposes, so the proportion of highly processed products within agricultural exports may continue to increase. However, good quality and advanced technology are not enough today, the right opportunities for meetings between Hungarian exporters and foreign buyers must be created, said the deputy state secretary.

The Hungarian Food Summit has also started

Gergely Giczi, deputy managing director of the Agrármarketing Centrum (AMC), announced that on Friday, the first day of the OMÉK, the newest initiative of the Hungarian Food Business program, the Hungarian Food Summit export development meeting, began, at which 46 Hungarian food industry manufacturers began negotiations with 124 buyers from 87 foreign companies. Almost a thousand business meetings can be concluded by the end of the day, such a result has never been seen in the history of Hungarian food export development – he emphasized. AMC’s Hungarian Food Business program, established in 2021, brings 150-200 Hungarian companies to at least ten professional exhibitions every year so that they can introduce themselves and build relationships in other countries. In addition, business development meetings are organized between Hungarian entrepreneurs and foreign buyers. The online food industry catalog Hungarian Food Business Catalog also brought significant results, which presents almost 2,000 Hungarian products and has already brought manufacturers together with at least half a thousand foreign buyers, said the deputy managing director of the AMC.

MTI/AMC