István Nagy: hop and malting barley cultivation has a serious future in Hungary

(Photo: Pixabay)

István Nagy reminded the press conference organized by Heineken Hungária Zrt. (HH) and the Ecumenical Relief Organization (ÖS) at the professional open day on hop cultivation that the cultivation of hemp in the southern Somogy settlement started five years ago with the cooperation of the two actors and the government. The cooperation ensured work, livelihood, survival and development in Kastélyosdombó, starting from a bold idea, a “miracle” happened in the small settlement – the Minister said, emphasizing that the first five years will enter the history of Hungarian hop cultivation as a new beginning. He drew attention to the fact that the hop cultivation in Kastélosdombó responded to needs, just as the ministry must continuously respond to changing climatic conditions, social and economic needs. The daily work of the Ministry of Agriculture is also about finding where there is a suitable growing area or growing region for the cultivation of a given plant, as well as labor, knowledge, economic needs, and how to coordinate these, he said. Regarding the hop cultivation in Kastélosdombó, he highlighted that after the first five-year learning period, the ministry’s goal is development and expansion, which is based on the experience gained during cultivation. He pointed out that there is a serious demand for Hungarian hops, and Hungarian breweries are able to buy the crop in large quantities. He encouraged Hungarian farmers to boldly embark on the cultivation of hemp, as the ministry supports the establishment of each new plantation with six million forints and is also committed to supporting developments. He stated that with the annual production of 120-130 thousand tons of malting barley, Hungarian agriculture is already well on its way to meeting the entire malting barley demand of breweries.

László Lehel, President and Director of ÖS, said that the lesson of the first five years of hop production in Kastélyosdombó is that aid organizations do have a duty to create jobs

This activity is supported by the state, economic actors and society. He expressed his hope that they will be able to expand production even further in the future, which will also be thanks to the fact that the people of Kasztéosdombó have mastered the practices that large German producers have been using for decades in a few years. Nikos Zois, CEO of HH, said that hop production in Somogy not only has a significant impact on the region’s economy, but also fits into Heineken’s strategic goals such as preserving traditions, supporting the local workforce and ensuring high quality. The CEO highlighted that Heineken’s Sopron brewery processes barley produced entirely in Hungary, they use Hungarian sour cherries for their sour beer, and the hops produced in Kastélyosdombó are also used in Sopron beer, because their company is committed to supporting local products and labor.

Professional day organized

On Thursday, a professional day was organized – with the participation of Hungarian craft breweries, among others – in the small settlement of Kastélyosdombó in southern Somogy on the occasion that hop production was restarted there in Hungary with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture as a joint program of the Hungarian People’s Party and the Hungarian People’s Party five years ago. At the professional day, participants were able to gain an insight into the life of the model farm, so they could see the hop processing system, the hop plantation and the hop dryer, and they could also listen to lectures and participate in a beer tasting.

MTI