Hungarian-German agricultural turnover is expanding dynamically; last year, exports exceeded one billion euros, according to preliminary figures, Minister of State for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Economy Endre Kardeván told Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday in Berlin at International Green Week, the world's largest agricultural expo.

1650 exhibitors, the highest number in 15 years, arrived at this year's expo, which opened on Friday; 70 countries are being represented, which is a record for the 88-year history of the event. 400 thousand people are expected to visit the exhibition, which closes on 26 January. This is the 44th time that Hungary has taken part at International Green Week (Internationale Grüne Woche); 14 exhibitors are showcasing the products of a total of 22 Hungarian enterprises through the Agricultural Marketing Centre.

Hungary is being represented by premium quality products such as artisan wines, spices, marzipan desserts, wild game and mangalitsa pork products. It is the turnover in these high added value products that are produced from natural ingredients, which we must primarily increases, Endre Kardeván said. The Minister of State stressed that Germany is also Hungary's most important economic partner with regard to agricultural trade. Exports have increased markedly over the past three years, while imports have remained relatively stable, leading to a ten-year record high positive agrarian import-export balance with Germany according to estimates, Mr. Kardeván said.

The Berlin expo is also an important forum for agricultural diplomacy. Minister of State Kardeván met with the new German government's Minister for Food and Agriculture Hans-Peter Friedrich. The CSU politician was Minister of Interior in the previous government, has experience of Hungary, and the representative of the Hungarian Government was one of the first guest he received at the expo. Endre Kardeván, who also held bilateral talks with ministers of agriculture from Holland, Poland, Russia and Georgia, said he views this as an excellent sign.

The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), a summit for the world's agriculture ministers, is being organised for the sixth time along the sidelines of International Green Week this year. The main topic of this year's Forum is food security, which is a huge challenge for every country in view of the fact that food production must be increased by some 60 percent of the next fifty years to prevent food scarcity, Mr. Kardeván said.

According to Hungary's standpoint, the primary answers to the challenge are the development of family farms and promoting the distributing and consumption of local products, which makes food more affordable by reducing transport costs. This perspective is shared by both Hungary and Germany, the Minister of State said, emphasising that the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) had made 2014 the Year of Family Farming, within the framework of which one of the largest events, the Global Forum and Exhibition on Family Farming, will be held in Budapest from March 4-7 with the involvement of the Government. All participants of this year's Berlin agriculture ministers' summit have been invited to attend the high-level conference, Minister of State Kardeván said.

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