Successful collective support for Hungarian products – Agora 11

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/10.

HUNGARIAN PRODUCT Nonprofit Kft. has been working to promote domestic products for 19 years. Managing director Eszter Benedek reported that in 2025 there were 250 trademark users and nearly 6,000 products bearing the label. There are already 115,000 consumers who are committed, conscious buyers of products with the Hungarian Product trademark. The 250 trademark users employ 48,000 people and generate annual sales of HUF 4,700bn. Next on the programme was a macroeconomic presentation by economist Zoltán Pogátsa, who pointed out that climate change is the biggest challenge that the agricultural sector is facing. He believes the lack of reliable analyses of what has happened in the agricultural sector is a major problem. In his view the margin freeze doesn’t help the current situation.

There was a roundtable discussion with the participation of Erik Vágyi, managing director of Nielsen IQ, Zoltán Bálint, head of purchasing at PENNY Market Kft., János Mezei, commercial director at Co-op Star Zrt. and Attila Nagy, sales director at Auchan Retail Magyarország Kft. It turned out that there are volume issues, with consumers putting fewer products in their shopping carts. Consumer confidence is growing slightly, but it is still not at 2021 levels.

Viktor Nagy, secretary of the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Societies and Cooperatives (MAGOSZ) shared detailed information about the latest CAP grants and current regulations.

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In the second roundtable discussion, Gábor Bokros, marketing director of Gyermelyi Zrt., Péter Koósa, managing director of Detki Keksz Kft. and Tamás Szirt, technical manager of InFend Energy Kft. spoke about smart developments. In the past five years Gyermelyi has spent HUF 22bn on development and plans to invest HUF 42bn over the next three years. At Detki production capacity has been increased and packaging has been automated in the last 5-6 years from a budget of HUF 3bn.Tamás Szirt pointed out that with the right energy mix, digitalisation and development, energy costs can be reduced by 20-30%.

György Suta, EY Hungary’s tax partner responsible for the retail sector called attention to some beneficial tax schemes.

At the end of the day awards were presented to the special partners of Hungarian Product in 2025: the winners were GOF HUNGARY KFT., HERBIOVIT KFT. MAXXON REKLÁM KFT. and NÁDUDVARI ÉLELMISZER KFT.

Next year HUNGARIAN PRODUCT Nonprofit Kft. will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Buying Hungarian products is good and when there is community cooperation behind this, the sky really is the limit!