Deputy State Secretary Katalin Tóth, representing the Ministry of Rural Development and as a member of the Government delegation, held a presentation on Hungarian agriculture and opportunities for bilateral cooperation at the session of the Hungarian-Brazilian Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation in Brazil.

At the Committee's session, Katalin Tóth told those present that in 2011, Hungarian gross domestic product was 1.6% higher than in the previous year. She stressed that agriculture is a key sector from the point of view of GDP, and exports have also risen to record levels of 7.2 billion euros. The favourable turn is due to Government measures such as tax benefits and export subsidies, but Hungary's natural assets and climate are also a huge advantage to the agriculture sector.

The Ministry of Rural Development and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply adopted a declaration of intent regarding cooperation in agriculture and the food industry, including cooperation within the fields of ecological farming, biodiversity, gene preservation, viticulture and viniculture, forestry, food safety, aquaculture and education.

The Deputy State Secretary held discussions with Brazilian State Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture Maria Fernanda Nince Ferreira, during which the parties confirmed their intent to cooperate in future within the fields of ecological fish farming and integrated water treatment. The Brazilian partner invited Hungary to take part at next year's Fisheries and Aquaculture Exhibition in Fortaleza.

In addition, within the framework of bilateral discussions, Deputy State Secretary Katalin Tóth officially confirmed to her partner from the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment that Hungary will be the venue of the International World Conference on Water in the autumn of 2013.

Closing the discussions, she asked that, as a continuation of the Rio+20 Conference, Brazil support the role Hungary has undertaken in the workgroup set up to determine sustainable development goals.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)