Hungary needs to be more competitive if it is to succeed in the wider European market, said a leading government minister.
Istvan Feher, under secretary for the ministry of agriculture, said Hungary had good potential and was in a strong position within central and eastern Europe.
However, Dr Feher said the accession of his country into the European Union had created many challenges for the fresh produce industry.
“We need to make improvements so that we can be more competitive in the European market,” he said.
“There is huge potential for us, with around 450 million consumers throughout the EU, all consuming 3.5 to 4 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables each year.”
He said the industry needed to innovate: “We need to be working hard to create premium products, and not just aim for the mass market goods. We need to improve on marketing to increase our sales of products into the EU.”
He said Hungary as a nation could also offer the opportunity to extend seasons within the EU market. “We can extend the season on melons, for example, by around two to three weeks.”
Internally there needed to be greater co-operation between producers, he said, and there needed to improvements and investment in things like packaging and logisitics.
“It will take time and need a lot of investment but as a member of the government we need to support our producers to enable them to become more competitive.”
He said Hungary has around 200,000 hectares of production and exports around 40 per cent of its produce.
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