Balázs Győrffy, NAK president: Don’t fall for cheap imported food!

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 01. 18. 11:20

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It is an unfavorable process that is contrary to the interests of Hungarian consumers and the national economy, that retail store chains – at the expense of Hungarian producers and manufacturers – aim to increase imports in more and more food segments. In addition to temporary difficulties, this trend may lead to the weakening of Hungarian supplier positions that have been fought for in recent years. Based on global agricultural economic trends, the growth of food prices is slowing down, which could provide an opportunity to introduce a price cap, and that would help Hungary maintain its positions.

A drastic increase in the input costs of producers and food producers and the costs of food production has started several years ago worldwide and in our country, which in the initial period was not followed by consumer prices, as well as the prices paid to producers by the retail trade. After that, as a result of the sanctions policy, which significantly weakened the economy of the European Union, production costs continued to rise drastically. This imbalanced situation could not be sustained in the long term, and over time consumer prices also increased exponentially.

In addition to all of this, it is a regrettable trend that the commercial actors – citing the compensation of losses caused by the price cap – significantly increased the import of imported products in those segments where Hungarian producers and products (e.g. dairy products, meat products, etc.) have gained a strong market position in recent years. . This unfavorable process must be stopped as soon as possible – warns the National Chamber of Agricultural Economics (NAK).