Strengthening agricultural ties between Hungary and Africa

Hungary has a long history of agricultural heritage, expertise and innovation successes spanning many centuries, and is ready to share its experiences with African countries, said Sándor Farkas, deputy minister of the Ministry of Agriculture. Farkas talked about the potentials of African-Hungarian agricultural collaboration at a meeting with Kenney Osei, deputy minister of agriculture of Ghana, élelmiszeronline reports.

Sándor Farkas emphasised that Hungary considers Ghana as its special partner, where Hungarian economic actors are already present, whose numbers are hoped to increase through agrardiplomacy. He mentioned the Ghanaian-Hungarian model farm that has been operating since the autumn of 2017, whose success inspired new projects that Hungary is working on. Besides seed cultivation, they are planning to introduce Hungarian domestic species like pigs and poultry.

Such model farms are a great way to showcase Hungarian products and innovations and can pave the way for their introduction into the Ghanaian market. Hungary is ready to share its processing expertise, and Ghana is open to such initiatives.

Farkas talked about the increasing Hungarian presence on the African continent in the second half of the twentieth century, as processing plants and model plants kept opening with the participation of Hungarians. Agricultural research and education have also been open to African students, and the current government is keen to revive Eastern and Southern connections.

Although the climate of Tunisia, Uganda or South Africa is radically different from that of Hungary, some global challenges should be tackled together, Farkas explained. These are issues related to climate change and the need to breed animals and cultivate plants that are better equipped to deal with heat and humidity; protection against new or recent pests; sustainable development of soil nutrition; and irrigation.

Farkas concluded by mentioning the already established research connections between African countries and Hungary ranging from grain research to aquaculture. Research and business collaborations, as well as knowledge transfer, can ensure the further development of Hungarian-African agrarian ties.

Source: elelmiszer.hu