“The 79th National Agricultural and Food Exhibition and Fair (OMÉK) will be held at the Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center between 26 and 29 September 2019. Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Centre (AMC), the event will receive 1.2 billion forints (EUR 3.8 million) in financing from the central budget”, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy announced in Budapest on Thursday.

About one thousand exhibitors are expected, along with 100 thousand visitors. The first day of the four-day event will be reserved for agriculture and food industry professionals, while the following three days will be open to students, families and the general public.

According to the Minister, the event will aim to promote business and address young people. For the first time, there will be associated events outside Budapest, including an animal husbandry exhibition in Hódmezővásárhely and an agricultural machinery expo in Bábolna. There will also be a show of animals and agricultural machinery in Budapest.

OMÉK is a traditional event. More than an exhibition and fair, it is “a proud festival of agriculture where food and agriculture products are showcased along with novelties in gardening and technology. It offers a wealth of the very best Hungarian products”, the Minister said.

The exhibition provides a forum for producers, traders and consumers to deepen their mutual trust and expand their relations. According to the Minister, the agricultural marketing organisations of neighbouring countries will also be invited so that potential business partners can be reached in a targeted manner. A so-called model farm will be set up in order to increase the popularity of agriculture among young people and showcase agricultural activities in an innovative and attractive manner. Programs will be offered to professionals and the public, and protocol events will also be held in order to address a wide strata of society.

AMC executive director Péter Ondré promised that the fair would be novel and offer more programs than the last OMÉK two years ago. The focus will be on food production, professionalism, internationalism and innovation.

While the exhibition will remain a popular fair, it will focus on serious issues such as sustainability, consumer consciousness and confidence, healthy and GMO-free food, agricultural digitalisation, and increasing the attractiveness of a career in agriculture, Mr. Ondré explained.

Special attention will be paid to food innovation. An application scheme will be announced, and an innovation award will be presented for that purpose. The objective is to encourage Hungarian food producers to make innovative products that are competitive internationally.

The executive director invited all potential exhibitors to download the application form from the fair website (www.omek.amc.hu), where additional information can be obtained. Floor space can be rented at discount prices until 20 March.

(MTI)