Interest in horticultural tenders is high

(Photo: AM/Csaba Pelsőczy)

At the event, the Deputy State Secretary drew attention to the fact that 43 calls have been issued so far within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan, with a total budget of 1,475 billion forints. There was a high demand for the opportunities that have emerged for the horticultural sector, which indicates that farmers see serious prospects in this area. He explained that among the investment calls, 90% of the support for ornamental horticulture, 70% of the general horticultural investments, and 20% of the greenhouse developments are currently in the gap-filling phase. The great attention is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the tender for greenhouse developments, for example, started with a budget of 50 billion forints, but requests of 116 billion forints were received, so that a reallocation of resources will also take place.

In the aforementioned calls, support decisions will be made for the players in the sector in a scheduled manner during the summer months

Szabolcs Szigeti also mentioned that numerous additional supports are also available. For example, 410 projects have received funds in connection with the development of processing plants so far, for a total of more than 24 billion forints. The Deputy State Secretary also spoke about the dynamic expansion of exports in terms of tomato production. This shows that the development of the horticultural sector not only ensures domestic value creation, but also a competitive international presence. As the level of processing increases, the added value of exported products also increases significantly, thereby increasing the income-generating capacity of the agricultural economy. Speaking about further plans, Szabolcs Szigeti said that several application submission stages will open in the autumn. He mentioned as examples the irrigation development tenders and the support for rural infrastructure development, which offers new opportunities for farms. During the summer period, young people will have the opportunity to submit applications, in which horticulture is considered a priority sector.

AM