"Fruit and vegetable exports, which are currently at 800-850 thousand tons-a-year may be increased to 1.2 million tons/year over the coming years. This is one of the most important goals of the new agriculture strategy, which should be published during the first half of the year", Deputy Secretary of State for Agricultural Economy of the Ministry of Rural Development Zsolt Feldman told Hungarian news agency MTI at the Fruit Logistica exhibition in Berlin.

Emphasising the importance of the German market, Zsolt Feldman added that increasing the current 200 thousand tons of exports to Germany is in the country's fundamental interests. To support this goal, a businessmen's meeting will be organised with the help of the Hungarian Embassy in Berlin, and next year they make use of the fact that Hungary will be in the spotlight in view of the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall.

According to the President of FruitVeB, the Hungarian Interprofessional Association for Fruit and Vegetables, development of the fruit and vegetable sector could lead to the creation of 100 thousand new jobs.
At the world's largest international trade fair for the sector, Béla Mártonffy told MTI that Hungary's average harvested production could increase by 1 million tons to 3.5 million tons by the end of the European Union's next fiscal period for 2014-2020.

Geothermic energy also provides an excellent opportunity for development, because Hungary has a large supply of geothermic energy but current usage is low. Consequently, the current 400 thousand tons of fruit and vegetables produced under sheltered conditions on some 2500 hectares of land, i.e. in greenhouses, could be increased to as much as 800 thousand tons without having to double the size of sheltered area, as several types of crop can be grown in the same greenhouse each year, Mr. Mártonffy said.

He added, the largest outlet for such produce is the German market, which accounts for about a quarter of fruit and vegetable exports. This is one of the reasons why the Fruit Logistica exhibition in Berlin, at which 13 companies representing some 3 thousand Hungarian producers are taking part this year through the National Tourist Office's Agricultural Marketing Centre, is so important to Hungary.

At total of 2543 exhibitors from 78 countries are taking part in this year's Fruit Logistica exhibition, which lasts until Friday. According to the organisers, over 50 thousand representatives of the fruit and vegetable sector will also be present.

(MTI, Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)