Farm minister holds talks on Hungarian-Japanese cooperation in Berlin

Berlin, January 15 (MTI) – Farm Minister Sandor Fazekas discussed Hungarian-Japanese cooperation with Hiromichi Matsushima, vice minister for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, on the sidelines of Gruene Woche, the world’s largest food fair in Berlin on Friday.

Japan is Hungary’s main agricultural trading partner in Asia, Fazekas told MTI.

Hungary exports a huge volume of Mangalica pork to Japan where the Tokaj wine is a highly popular product as well, he said.

Hungary’s Mangalica export to Japan was worth 74 million euros in 2014 and went up to 100 million euros in 2015, according to preliminary data, he noted.

Further exports to Japan include poultry and other meat products, as well as honey, he said.

Fazekas said he discussed with his partner cooperation possibilities in farming certain types of cherry and sour cherry, as well as rice.

They proposed cooperation in veterinary health with focus on education and in the field of gene banks.

Fazekas expressed hope that a trade agreement which is being currently prepared between the EU and Japan would soon be sealed and will allow boosting Hungary’s sales to that country.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters