"The future development of agricultural and food industry cooperatives is especially important for Hungary because the country possesses extensive farmland areas of excellent quality, where production can look back on a thousand years of traditions.", said Endre Kardeván in his speech at the event held at the Rome headquarters of the FAO marking the International Year of Cooperatives.

The State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Economy attended the international event at the invitation Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva. The participants at the event discussed the relationship between the FAO, cooperatives and farmers' organisations, and the role of the international organisation the fight against starvation. The FAO Director-General announced that the Cooperatives Department within the FAO that was closed in the 80s would be restarted.

In his speech, State Secretary Endre Kardeván stressed the Hungarian government is encouraging the formation and strengthening of farmers' organisations by several means, including with the help of support opportunities provided by the European Union. These cooperatives conjoin the most vulnerable small-scale farmers. The European Union is encouraging cooperation between farmers and the strengthening and growth of farmers' cooperatives, during the drafting of the new Common Agricultural Policy and through the support system of the National Rural Strategy until 2020. With this aid, cooperatives and the distribution systems built on their participation may become determining players on both domestic and international markets, and have the opportunity to become successful within the trade of safe food and basic ingredients, which requires uniform quality. This makes is possible for those small-scale Hungarian farmers who would otherwise be unable to make a stand against international competition to conquer markets that demand high levels of processing, large quantities and international experience.

With reference to the International Year of Cooperatives, Europe's largest farmers' association, COPA-COGECA, which includes representatives fro 27 member states, will be holding its annual congress in Budapest between October 1-3 at the invitation of Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas.

Fotó: ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)