The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture travelled to the German capital to attend the 81st International Green Week agriculture expo, where Hungarian food industry exhibitors are working to reinforce the market presence of the whole sector.
During the event, the Hungarian Minister held meetings with several of his European counterparts including Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Krzysztof Jurgiel, whom Sándor Fazekas met for the first time since Mr. Jurgiel’s appointment last November. The parties expressed their common appreciation for the historical friendship between the two countries, which provides an excellent foundation for professional cooperation both within the framework of the Visegrád Group and on various European Union forums. One of the subjects of discussion during the meeting was the current crisis on the milk and pork markets with reference to which the parties agreed that rapid and effective action is required on the part of the European Commission and that these issues, which have an especially negative effect on European farmers, should be treated as a priority. The Polish Minister of Agriculture also expressed his high regard for the quality of Hungarian wines, in addition to which he assured his Hungarian counterpart of his support with regard to Mr. Fazekas’s previously announced “Alliance for a GMO-free Europe” initiative.
The central topic during Mr. Fazekas’s meeting with Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Vasil Grudev was the issue of land trade regulations. Bulgaria is preparing to introduce a strict Land Act aimed at eradicating speculative land purchasing and ensuring that only farmers can acquire farmland, similar to the current Hungarian legislation, and accordingly has requested that Hungary share its experience on the issue and further tighten cooperation within the field.
Similarly to Hungary, Bulgaria is also committed to maintaining a GMO-free agriculture and as such also views Hungary, which has made significant efforts in Brussels in the interests of assuring that the cultivation of GMO crops falls within a national field of competence, as a partner in this area. The International Green Week, the world’s largest agriculture expo, also provided an opportunity for Mr. Fazekas to hold talks on the issue with State Secretary Elisabeth Backteman from the Swedish Ministry of Agriculture according to whom, although the Swedish state does not restrict the cultivation of GMO crops, the vast majority of farmers nevertheless reject the use of genetically modified seeds.