FM: melon-growing area increased significantly

The National Watermelon Program (launched in 2011) is very effective. The melon-growing area of Hungary, has increased significantly since then, now it is around about 6 thousand hectares – Nagy István, Minister of State of the Ministry of Agriculture (FM) said in Budapest at a press conference on Tuesday.

Nagy István, at the heralding of the promotion program for the Hungarian watermelon recalled that while in 2002 Hungary was the world's third largest exporter of watermelon, in the following years extremely negative developments took place in this area. Thus, in 2010, the 9 thousand hectares of arable land declined to 4,500 hectares. (MTI)