“Funding decisions in the amount of approximately HUF 1.5 billion were made within the Hungarian Fishery Management Operative Programme (MAHOP) financed from EU the budget until August, and the application of a further HUF 1.5 billion may be decided until the end of the summer, which contributes to the implementation of the development ideas formed with respect to the fishery sector”, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministry of Agriculture) Miklós Zsolt Kis said in Budapest on Tuesday at a press conference held at the Sziget Festival.
In his speech, the Minister of State reminded the press that through subsidies provided from the EU budget within the framework of the MAHOP, Hungary can benefit from over HUF 16 billion in funding for the development of its fishery management sector.
Within this framework, between 2007 and 2013 the priority goals are to develop the production bases created by the Fishery Operative Programme and the development of small and medium-sized fishery management enterprises, increasing competitiveness of traditional pond fish production and popularising the of consumption of fish and fish products. The Kapj rá! (“Get a Taste for It!”) campaign at the Sziget Fesztival is also part of this promotional programme, he added.
Péter Ondré, Managing Director of Agrarian Marketing Centre (AMC), said that the Kapj rá! Roadshow is one of the major stations of the summer Sziget Festival because at such and similar events consumers may not only learn about fish, but also sample them. Apart from tasting, those interested can obtain information from educational publications that offer practical advice on cooking and processing fish, among other things.
He pointed to the fact that per capita fish consumption in Hungary is approaching 6 kilograms, still far less than the EU average consumption, which exceeds 20 kilograms.
Ferenc Lévai, spokesperson of the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Organisation (MA-HAL) informed the press that the yearly sales revenue of the fishery sector is between HUF 12.5 and 13.5 billion. Fish production for consumption in Hungary is 12-14 thousand tons-a-year, and 3500-4000 tons in intensive farms. 80-83 percent of pond fish production is carp, as opposed to intensive farms, where 90 percent of the fish produced is African catfish.
According to the press release issued on site, the Kapj rá! programme focusing on popularising and encouraging fish consumption will be realised by 2023 within the framework of MAHOP, in cooperation with the AMC and MA-HAL.