The 82nd OMÉK, Hungary’s largest agricultural and food industry exhibition, has opened

OMÉK is not just an exhibition, but a complex professional and community experience, where producers, processors, distributors, consumers and policy makers can come into direct contact with each other. Visitors can learn about the latest agricultural technology developments, try out tools at interactive stands and see the future of Hungarian agriculture up close.

The event was opened by Minister of Agriculture István Nagy, who said that in recent years, European agriculture, including Hungarian agriculture, has been faced with many challenges. The coronavirus pandemic, wars, the increasingly strong impact of climate change, plant and animal diseases, rising production costs, increasing international competition and labor shortages have all put farmers in a difficult situation.

Therefore, further increasing competitiveness and productivity, as well as finding a balance between environmental and economic goals, will be key issues in the future. The minister reminded that in this situation, the sector is being helped by prominent tenders and targeted subsidies. He added: Hungarian food and crops represent outstanding value even in European comparison, and OMÉK provides an opportunity to showcase the work of farmers and bring the countryside and the city, the producer and the consumer closer together.

The managing director of the fair’s organizer, Agrármarketing Centrum, Péter Ondré, also emphasized that agriculture has gone through a turbulent period, but the government and the profession have done everything to mitigate its impact. According to the expert, it is essential to increase trust between consumers and farmers, which is also one of the missions of OMÉK. The most loyal buyers of Hungarian products will always be domestic buyers, he said.