Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas said that the upcoming 78th National Agriculture and Food Exhibition (OMÉK) will highlight Hungary’s “world class” GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)-free products.
The expo, according to its website,
is the largest agricultural event in Hungary, with a history of more than 100 years… with its 950 exhibitors and 100 thousand visitors is the biggest Hungarian Exhibition in Agriculture and Food topics, and one of the biggest ones in this Region of Europe.
The exhibition’s goal has “always been to give a comprehensive picture” of Hungary’s agricultural sector, and to bring agriculture “closer to the public.” Wine and viticulture, forestry, water management, agricultural machinery, animal husbandry, and the food industry will all be on display at this year’s OMÉK.
Discussing agriculture as a whole, Fazekas welcomed growth in the sector, noting that output totaled over 2,619 billion forints (8.5 billion euros) last year, while farm exports have increased by 37.5% in the past six years. The sector’s foreign trade surplus also increased by 34.9% in the same period, he added.
This is far from the first instance of the Hungarian government’s embrace of the anti-GMO movement; in fact, the country has been one of the European Union’s most strident critics of GMOs, and one of the earliest adopters of anti-GMO regulations.
OMÉK, a biannual event, will be held this year between Sept. 20 and 24, at the Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center and the nearby Kincsem Park racetrack, both of which are located in the eastern part of the city.
Source: hungarytoday.hu
