"The Hungarian fruit and vegetable sector achieved significant success in 2013", Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas said at the annual evaluation meeting of the Hungarian Interprofessional Organisation for Fruit and Vegetables (FruitVeB) in Budapest.
Mr. Fazekas emphasised that cooperation between the Ministry, the relative authorities, offices and producers had brought success to the sector. As an example, the Minister cited the campaigns launched to promote watermelon, apples, peaches, sour cherries and green peppers, thanks to which consumers are once again purchasing more domestically produced fruits and vegetables. Sales promotions that in turn enable producers to invest in their businesses, must be further developed, he stressed.
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Among the successes achieved by the sector this year, the Minister also mentioned the establishment of the standardised agrarian higher education system and research network.
Mr. Fazekas said that Hungarian agriculture and fruit and vegetable production is beginning to regain its previous position. This is clearly indicated by the increased ratio of Hungarian products on foreign markets, where an annual increase of 15-20 percent may be observed. Exports of fruits and vegetables to Russia have increased by 15 percent, he pointed out.
He also spoke about the fact that the Ministry has developed the Fruit and Vegetable Sector Strategy, which is awaiting adoption. The main objective of the Strategy is for the country to produce 1 million tons more fruit and vegetables than the current level during the period 2014-2020. In reply to a question from Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Fazekas said that the final draft of the strategy, the social debate of which will be over in a few days time, is expected to be adopted by Parliament before the end of the year.
The Strategy determines the goals in relation to which European Union funding may be applied for. There will already be tenders in 2014, but the majority will be available from 2015, he added.
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President of FruitVeB Béla Mártonffy emphasised the fact that production has stabilised during the past 3 years, and the sector's output for this year is expected to be some 2.5 million tons. Mushroom production may reach 27 thousand tons this year, an increase of 15 percent, he stressed.
One of the main areas of development for the upcoming period is Hungary's cereal production, which has a significant market, and in which growth of 30-50 percent is a realistic goal. He rated this year as average, with acceptable producer prices.
The further development of irrigations remains to be realised, the President said, mentioning the black economy as one of the negative factors affecting the sector, and urging for a reduction in the current 27 percent level of VAT. Béla Mártonffy called the development of the Sector Strategy, which FruitVeB initially developed in cooperation with the Ministry and the Government, a significant achievement.
(MTI)
