World Grain - February 2022 - 20

COUNTRY FOCUS
remarks quoted by the news agency MTI.
In recommendations for the plan, the European Commission
described Hungary's agriculture as " an important part of
the country's economy and is an important contributor to the
export performance. "
" Agricultural output is varied and balanced between arable
crops and the animal sector, " the EC said. " The sector continues
to have a fragmented structure, with an important share of
small and medium-sized farms. "
The Commission said the total number of Hungarian farms
declined steeply between 2005 and 2016, from 715,000 to
430,000 (which represents 4% of EU-27 holdings). A vast
majority of them has less than five hectares.
" The average farm size increased from 8 to 12 hectares in
the same time period, " the EC said, while the " the agricultural
area decreased in the same time period from 5.8 million hectares
in 2005 to 5.3 million hectares in 2016. "
" The decline in agricultural area appears both in arable land
and in permanent grassland, " the Commission said.
According to the Hungarian Central Statistics Office
(HCSO) on Dec 9, 2021, crop production in 2021 decreased
by 6.5% over the previous year.
" The quantity of cereals became 10% lower in total, " the
HCSO said. " The 23% fall in maize production was offset by
growths (of 14% and 4.1%) in the production of barley and
wheat, respectively. The production of rapeseed became 20%
lower, owing to a decrease in its productive area. The production
of sunflower was unchanged and that of protein crops and
tobacco went up, so the quantity of industrial crops shrank by
6.5% in total. "
In an April 16, 2021, attaché report on the EU grains
sector, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said that in
Hungary, as well as its neighbors Czechia and Slovakia,
rains in October delayed winter grains plantings.
" The above-average temperatures registered in December
helped plants strengthen in the early growth stages and at
the start of tillering, " the USDA said. " Snow cover since the
second half of January protected the crops from frosts in late
January and February.
" In Hungary, area planted to corn is expected to expand in
response to the steady growth in industrial demand. Hungary
is progressively increasing its industrial grain usage (corn and
wheat) as processing plants increase their capacities and widen
portfolios assisted by government grants. "
Biofuels and biotech
In a report on the EU biofuels sector, the USDA estimated
Hungary's fuel ethanol production in 2021 at 640 million liters,
putting it third behind France and Germany among European
producers.
" In Hungary, processing plants have increased their capacities
to focus more on starch and non-fuel ethanol products,
mostly for chemical use, " the report said. " An abundance
of corn in Central Europe, particularly in Hungary, supports
corn-based ethanol production in that region. "
The USDA attaché in Budapest, in an October 2021 report
on biotech, described Hungary as " one of the strongest opponents
of agricultural biotechnology in the European Union. "
" Maintaining the country's GE-free status is still a government
priority, " the report said. " However, Hungary's scientific
and agricultural organizations, breeding and research
institutions are speaking out in support of non-transgenic genome
editing.
" In the case of an enabling legislative environment in the
EU, the country would be open to adopting innovative biotechnologies.
Hungary's GE-free status is seen as a commerMY
DRIVE IS FROM
MAXXDRIVE®
NORD!
- Powerful drives for heavy-duty applications
Variety of options for tailor-made application concepts
High output torques and drive powers
Comprehensive configuration and mounting options allow for
standardised as well as customised drive solutions
Getriebebau NORD GmbH & Co. KG | Fon +49 4532 289-0 |
info@nord.com | www.nord.com
http://www.nord.com
World Grain - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of World Grain - February 2022
