"Hungarian agriculture is capable of keeping pace and is facing up to competition", declared Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas in Szentes, when he inaugurated MA-KA Ltd's new feed mixing plant, which was built with an investment of 2 billion forints.

"One of Europe's most modern feed mixing plants has been built here in Szentes, and this is a message to rural Hungary. There is perspective in agriculture", said Sándor Fazekas.

The project of the Hungarian-owned company (a subsidiary of Hungerit Plc.), which has created 37 new jobs, received HUF 405 million in European Union and Government funding. The annual capacity of the plant is 170 thousand tons, and so in addition to Hungerit's 95 thousand ton feed requirement, there will be capacity left over for marketing, the Minister told reporters.

József Magyar, Hungerit Plc's General Manager said that the company had been planning the establishment of its own feed mixing plant for the past ten years.

The company and its subsidiaries cover practically the whole spectrum of the poultry industry "from the ground to the table". From the breeder units, eggs make their way to the hatchery, after which the day-old hatchlings continue to grow at one of the company's poultry units, before going to slaughter. Hungerit processes some 55 thousand tons of poultry each year, primarily broiler chickens, roasting ducks and geese, with which it is present on every level of the domestic market from small retailers to the largest hypermarket chains. In addition, it also has a significant export market, making up close to half of its revenue, said the General Manager.

The company had until now purchased feed from four or five suppliers, but thanks to the new project this external dependency will now cease, he added.

Managing Director of MA-KA Ltd László Bustyaházai explained that there are over eight hundred registered feed mixing plants in Hungary today, of which around two hundred also produce for the trade. 80 percent of these plants were built before 1990, and 70 percent before 1980. Despite the fact that there has been extensive development in recent years within the fields of animal husbandry genetics and husbandry technology, hardly any feed mixing plants have been built with the framework of greenfield projects, such as the new plant in Szentes.

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