MATE to build a demonstration garden for plant production and animal husbandry in Gödöllő

Minister Balázs Hankó and Rector Csaba Gyuricza (Photo: MATE)

It is of utmost importance for the University that students have up-to-date, practical knowledge in the fields of plant production, horticulture, plant breeding, plant protection, as well as animal husbandry and sustainable farming. The demonstration area will not only provide them with theoretical knowledge, but will also provide an opportunity to acquire extensive practical experience during their studies.

In addition, the demonstration garden will also provide external visitors and guests with the opportunity to gain knowledge

Dr. Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, in his ceremonial speech, emphasized that “Hungarian higher education has been renewed and successful, Hungarian agricultural higher education has been renewed and successful, the most significant and decisive player of which is the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences. We are proud of Hungarian higher education when we say that 12 Hungarian universities are in the top 5% of the world, one of which is MATE. But even in the narrower field of agricultural sciences, we are one of the top 150 universities in the world. This is thanks to the renewal, which places Hungarian knowledge and Hungarian agriculture on a practical basis. With the renewal of MATE, a conscious construction project has begun – not only on the Gödöllő campus – that will help Hungarian agricultural education to become significant on an international level. If we close our eyes, we can imagine that a five-hectare experience farm will be built here, and this The area will also house the Hungarian Agricultural Museum, which will be able to present Hungarian agriculture as an experience for visitors. It will also be a practical venue for MATE students. This is how MATE and Hungarian higher education are built and strengthened. The goal of the university’s 2030 program is to have our universities among the top 100 higher education institutions in the world. The commitment of MATE’s lecturers, researchers and students to achieve this goal is already there, but I think it is important to mention that MATE’s commitment to sports is also significant. With 3,000 athletes within the MATE GEAC’s 11 departments, Hungarian agricultural and life sciences will become unified.” “The development of the demonstration garden planned in the investment at the university fundamentally contributes to the practical education of students, the promotion of research and innovation, and the popularization of sustainable farming practices. In this way, the university provides a dynamic and inspiring learning environment that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the agricultural profession. In addition to practical training, a key goal is to demonstrate and transfer knowledge to the public, with which we aim to meet the needs of external visitors. By developing the demonstration garden, the university takes an active role in shaping social attitudes, promoting commitment to sustainable agriculture among the wider community. The project contributes to strengthening the transfer of knowledge between generations and the social reinforcement of appreciation for environmentally conscious lifestyles and rural values.” – emphasized Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, Rector of MATE. He added that “the concept of the demonstration space serving modern practical education to be created on the Szent István Campus was already formulated in 2021 when MATE was established. The demonstration space would be built up from several areas that touch on several scientific fields that form an organic unit. The space would serve not only education and research, but also the cultural recharge of university citizens and visitors. The goal is to develop these areas and fill them with functions.”

The location of the Plant Production Demonstration Space is being completely transformed in the area of the former genetic space

The existing central building, greenhouse, boiler house and fence will be completely renovated within the framework of a previous VP project, so in this next phase, the renovation of two warehouse buildings, landscaping, the creation of parking lots, the supply of water to the demonstration areas (establishment of a new well, construction of a water pipeline, installation of an irrigation system), and the creation of an arable and horticultural demonstration space (demonstration of varieties and technologies) will be implemented. In the Animal Breeding Showroom area, you will be able to get to know the more special breeds of domestic farm animals (cattle, sheep, goats and horses) in 11 pens (with stalls and resting areas). In addition to the pens, a larger fenced “animal petting area” will also be created, where guests can directly interact with the animals kept there and feed them. In the case of the showroom, two higher lookout towers (rising towards the pens), a playground and complete landscaping will also be implemented, which serve the comfort and tranquility of visitors.

In addition to the Animal Breeding Demonstration Area, the right and left wings of the existing

Animal Breeding Training Facility with milking shed will also be renovated. The right-hand (former stable) part of the building will be used to receive and enter external visitors to the SZIC Demonstration Garden, so a ticket office, restrooms, an interactive exhibition on the history of crop production and animal husbandry will be set up, and a milking history exhibition will be set up in the existing milking shed. Within the framework of the project, the middle floor of the building in question will also be renovated, where a panoramic training room and offices will be established for the development of practical education. In addition to the main building, the roof of the crop storage shed will also be replaced, the calf rearing area next to the milking robot barn will also be reconstructed, and a new silo will be built next to the existing one to ensure uninterrupted feed supply for the livestock. The light-structured house next to the milking robot barn will be demolished, and a new building will be built in its place, which will house a mini cheese factory. The cheese factory produces special cheeses from the milk of its own Jersey herd, which are sold by the operator MATE Tangazdaság Nonprofit Kft. At the end of the event, Minister Balázs Hankó and Rector Csaba Gyuricza placed a time capsule in the grounds of the Demonstration Garden, and a sapling was also planted there, symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter in the life of MATE.

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