Ministry of Agriculture: further help for the dairy sector, educational institutions can join the school milk program even during the school year

By: STA Date: 2025. 12. 17. 10:40

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The Ministry of Agriculture intends to provide further help to dairy sector players in response to the milk market processes. In this way, it expands the sector’s sales opportunities by allowing educational institutions to join the Kindergarten and School Milk Program even during the school year – announced Minister of Agriculture István Nagy in his statement last Friday.

(Photo: drnagyistvan.hu)

The Minister explained that in the usual procedure, in the school milk program, educational institutions and milk suppliers conclude contracts for the entire school year, however, in view of the current extraordinary situation, the amendment of the School Milk Decree may open the possibility for dairy product suppliers and educational institutions to conclude delivery contracts even during the year. This fall, the Ministry of Agriculture already allowed new suppliers to enter into contracts already concluded during the school year instead of potential non-performing suppliers, but now this possibility is being expanded further by allowing new schools and kindergartens to conclude contracts during the school year. Similar to participation in the entire school year, this will require the maintainers of the institutions to issue a call for tenders and conduct a selection procedure. The regulation is being amended. The measure provides additional flexibility in sales, which is beneficial for both the sector and the implementation of the school milk program, he added.

István Nagy also mentioned that the government will spend 7.4 billion forints on the school milk and school fruit program in the 2025-2026 school year

In order to ensure the smooth operation of the school milk program, the Ministry of Agriculture is in constant contact with the Milk Interprofessional Organization and Product Council, and through them with all actors in the dairy sector. The effectiveness of the joint work is demonstrated by the fact that – despite the economic difficulties – 10 dairy industry actors will provide milk and dairy products to children participating in school programs in the 2025-2026 school year. Thanks to the program, students will receive approximately 7.6 million liters of milk and dairy products. A total of 2,777 educational institutions are involved in the kindergarten and school milk program, which covers 454 thousand children this school year, which is more than 2.5 times the data for the 2010-2011 school year.

MTI