It is also worth choosing domestic freshwater fish for Christmas!

Hungarian fish is of high quality and healthy. This is what the Ministry of Agriculture, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Interprofessional Organization (MA-HAL) and the Agricultural Marketing Center call attention to in a joint press statement. During the prime fish consumption period, it is worth shopping consciously and, if possible, putting dishes made from freshwater fish produced at home on the Christmas table.

Minister of Agriculture István Nagy emphasized that around 35-40 percent of domestic fish consumption falls on the period before Christmas, which in the case of some large fish producers can even add up to 60-70 percent of the annual turnover. Fish consumption has slowly but steadily increased in recent years, currently at 6.52 kg/person/year. The Ministry of Agriculture is working to further increase the current average annual fish consumption per capita and to ensure that Hungarian fish are placed on the table in the largest possible proportion. The resources of the soon-to-be-started MAHOP Plusz tender will help renew fish production and increase capacity, thus reducing the country’s dependence on imports, as the coronavirus epidemic has also shown that we must strive for self-sufficiency. By consuming domestic products, we support not only the Hungarian economy, but also the livelihood of Hungarian families.

István Németh, the president of MA-HAL, said that this year’s fish harvest was much better than last year, thanks to the abundant rainfall, the producers were able to fill the ponds up to the working water level, and there was also a favorable turn in terms of feed prices. . Hungarian fish producers will provide high-quality domestic fish for the Christmas table. The fish species produced in the largest quantity in our country is the carp, of which more than 11,000 tons of market-sized age groups were caught last year by the fish farmers on 26,000 hectares of farms, the second most popular fish species in our country is the African catfish, of which more than 4,000 tons were produced in precision closed systems. Even at Christmas, carp and African catfish are the most popular in our country, followed by gray catfish, perch, busa, amur and crucian carp. It can be said that more and more fish are placed on consumers’ tables in processed, ready-to-cook form, African catfish is highlighted in this category, and a significant part of fish with boneless meat is marketed in this way. In addition to the domestic food supply, the aquaculture sector also plays a major role in the establishment of natural waters for fishing purposes, where 5,000 thousand tons of fish are placed every year, so it can be said that fishing organizations are among our biggest customers. On our website www.halpentek.hu, we have created a Christmas fish shop search engine, on which you can find not only fish shops, but also points selling fish from producers.

Anyone who buys Hungarian fish for Christmas is not only helping the work of domestic producers, but also protecting the earth, since the freshwater fish products produced here all come from environmentally friendly and sustainable production.

Péter Ondré, managing director of AMC, said that Kapj rá! The EU objective of the campaign to encourage fish consumption was to increase the average annual fish consumption of 5.7 kg/person by 20%, which has already risen to over 6.5 kg in four 4 years. Since the start of the program in 2017, almost 5 million people have been reached and 77,000 servings of food have been tasted at various events, he explained. The efficiency test of the campaign promoting the consumption of freshwater fish also showed that more and more people are choosing freshwater fish species, which is helped by the short films showing kitchen technologies and the recipes. Although for Hungarians, fish consumption is mainly focused on the Christmas period, it is worth eating fish all year round because it is high in omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, iodine, fluorine, selenium, iron, potassium and calcium, as well as A, D -, due to its vitamin B2, B6, and B12 content. Eating fish reduces the risk of a heart attack, can help a lot in overcoming stress or preventing cardiovascular diseases, reduces the risk of mental decline in old age, and can even help prevent allergic diseases.