“The buying-in price of milk is gradually increasing”, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas said on Hungarian M1 television’s Wednesday morning current affairs programme, indicating that new markets for Hungarian milk products have been successfully found in, for example, China and Chile, while significant quantities of milk have been exported to, amongst others, Romania, Italy and Croatia for a long time. As proof of the success of Hungarian agriculture, Hungary will be the guest of honour at next year’s Green Week expo in Berlin.

The Minister explained that there had been several meetings in recent months and he had personally consulted with the head of a wholesale chain the day before in the interests of enabling Hungarian producers to sell their milk at fair prices. “A little more time is needed” before we achieve the fair buying-in price of 100 Ft/litre, however, he noted.

“Hungarian milk is healthy, high quality and comes from a GMO-free environment, with regard to which public awareness is being increased via several advertising campaigns. Our milk industry generally still produces low added value products such as milk, sour cream and cottage cheese, while high-profit milk products such as flavoured yoghurts are usually imported. Hungarian milk producers have significantly lower reserves than their European counterparts. In places where there was no collectivisation or organisation into farming cooperatives, in times of crisis farmers are able to fall back on financial assets that have been accumulating for generations, and they are also more organised than Hungarian producers. The lesson to be learned from the crisis is that we must also increase cooperation within the sector in Hungary”, Mr. Fazekas said.

The Minister of Agriculture said the fact that Hungary will be the guest of honour at next year’s Green Week in Berlin, the largest agriculture expo in Europe, was a success for the work of every farmer in Hungary. “The event will be visited by four-hundred thousand people, including businessmen, diplomats and minsters of agriculture, who also participate in various related negotiations, meaning Hungary will be able to present the whole spectrum of its food industry products. Hungarian foods, the excellent Hungarian cuisine, handmade and bio products and Hungaricums will be advertised by promotional weeks and special programs, and a separate Hungarian pavilion and tastings will entice guests to purchase Hungarian products on Germany’s promising market”, the Minister highlighted.

(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)