Deputy Minister of Agriculture István Nagy held a meeting with the Russian Federation’s First Deputy Minister of Agriculture Evgeny Gromyko on Tuesday in Tula. During his two-day visit to Russia, Mr. Nagy took part in the inauguration ceremony of a new Hungarian feed premix plant and attended the opening of the “Golden Autumn” agriculture expo.

During his meeting with the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Mr. Nagy said that Hungary’s Ministry of Agriculture welcomed the fact that Russia has adopted the Bill on GMOs. In accordance with the document, which will come into effect on 1 June 2017, the cultivation and breeding of genetically modified plants and animals we be banned within the territory of the Russian Federation.

The Hungarian Deputy Minister indicated that the Russian market is highly important for the Hungarian seed and cereals sector and accordingly the Ministry is planning to delegate an external expert to November’s World Grain Forum in Sochi.

“Deepening agricultural and trade relations between the two countries is important to the Ministry of Agriculture”, Mr. Nagy stressed, pointing out that there is already significant cooperation between Hungary and the Russian Federation within the fields of breeding stock, breeding poultry and agricultural technologies. The Deputy Minister also emphasised that one of the targets of the Ministry of Agriculture is to increase the export of products that are not affected by the embargo.

During the course of the meeting the parties reviewed opportunities for supporting, promoting and financing the realisation of Hungarian agricultural investments in Russia.

Mr. Nagy took part in the inauguration of 100% Hungarian-owned Agrofeed Ltd’s new feed premix plant in Jasnogorsk, Tula County. The investment of around 10 million euros is the second largest Hungarian investment in Russia.

At the invitation of the Russian Federation’s Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Nagy also visited the “Golden Autumn” agriculture fair in Moscow.

(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)