Key tasks await agricultural graduates

By: STA Date: 2024. 03. 06. 11:00

Overall, our country is abundantly self-sufficient in vegetables and fruit thanks to the strength of the profession, for its future preservation and strengthening, the training of good professionals is essential – said Zsolt Feldman, State Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, at the graduation ceremony held at the Buda Campus of the Hungarian University of Agrarian and Life Sciences (MATE), on Wednesday.

(Photo: AM)

Addressing the recent graduates of MATE’s Institute of Horticulture, Institute of Plant Protection, and Institute of Viticulture and Oenology, Zsolt Feldman highlighted in the agriculture of the 21th century, an important condition for success is that in this profession based on traditional foundations, biology and natural sciences, practical specialists with professional knowledge who understand today’s data- and information-based, technology-oriented agricultural world work. MATE plays an important role in this, and with its training in the field of agricultural sciences, it creates the opportunity to educate versatile, broad-minded young professionals who are successful in their profession. A diploma or certificate obtained in agricultural higher education is an entrance to a beautiful profession and an important step in achieving the students’ career goals, just as a graduated, well-trained student represents a step forward in competitiveness for the profession and the country, he emphasized in his welcoming speech.

He explained that within the Hungarian horticulture sector, vegetable and fruit growing, viticulture and winemaking generate around HUF 650 billion

This accounts for 15 percent of the total domestic agricultural production. Therefore, this sector has such strength that it can provide a suitable background for young people to start their careers. He also emphasized the importance of the role of plant doctors by saying that the plant protection status of not only 145,000 hectares of vineyards and fruit plantations, but also a total of 5 million hectares of Hungarian agricultural land depends on their work. Thus, a key task awaits the young graduates who will be able to help in strengthening the prestige of the professions, as very few people today know the difficulties and challenges of the professions related to agriculture and the production of everyday food.