Successful kick-off meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and other news
2022. February 22.There have been a lot of things happening in Hungarian agriculture recently, and we have selected a selection of them with the help of articles from the major Hungarian news portals.
The reeds were on fire
On Monday afternoon, the National Directorate General for Disaster Management published on its Facebook page that several hectares of reeds were burning near Balatonszentgyörgy on the main road 76.
Initially, the flames affected only 2 hectares of vegetation, but by the end of the intervention, this area had seriously expanded to 10-15 hectares.
The work of the firefighters was made particularly difficult by the strong winds and the marshy, boggy terrain, so a bog tender was deployed to successfully carry out the operation.
The firefighters from several municipalities intervened to extinguish the flames, including firefighters from Pacsa, Keszthely and Marcal.
The main cause of fires in fields and forests is the burning of dry vegetation and green waste left behind after gardening work, which can easily spread further in open areas and in the presence of warm, spring-like weather.
The other main cause is the careless disposal of burning cigarette butts, which can cause dry vegetation to catch fire.
When hiking in nature, always collect litter to avoid littering and fire.
Put cigarettes out in a fireproof container and store until you can safely dispose of them.
In an emergency, call emergency services for the fastest intervention.
For support and resources to help you quit smoking better, visit a trusted website such as https://heysnus.com/hu.
Finance officers seized illegal brandy
The fact that we are living in difficult times because of rising prices is shown by the latest bust of the National Tax and Customs Office: the seizure of 400 litres of unlicensed brandy in Pest County.
The agents first arranged a disguised purchase with the seller, after which the Customs inspectors returned with the money officers and arrested the owner.
During the investigation, the suspect claimed to have bought the alcohol at the market, but was unable to produce a receipt.
In a nutshell, these figures highlight: the seizure of 372 bottles of unauthenticated brandy, the man’s accusation of budget fraud and a HUF 1 million excise fine as a result of the test purchase.
MATE researchers unmask counterfeit wines with a new method
A research collaboration between the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the University of Salerno has developed a method to detect counterfeit wines by measuring the propagation of laser light.
This method would make the job of inspectors much easier, as counterfeiters try different methods, such as diluting the wine or sweetening it with sugar.
These activities harm both the consumer and the producer.
In the past, laser technology was only used to test yoghurts or fruit ripening.
The experiment was initiated by János Soós, a PhD student at the Department of Viticulture of the Institute of Viticulture and Enology, and aimed to detect the slightest adulteration in boron by studying the propagation of laser light and using infrared spectroscopy.
According to Dr. László Baranyai, professor, even small modifications can be detected: infrared spectroscopy can detect the discrepancies with an estimation error of 0.59% added sugar or 6.85% water content.
In the laser analysis, sugar-treated samples were detected with up to 100% accuracy, while water-diluted samples were detected with 77% accuracy.
The method can also be applied to red and white wine, as the components in them, like human fingerprints, have unique characteristics in the infrared range of light.
Fuel price freeze extended for another 3 months
In his annual assessment speech, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced the good news for car owners: from mid-February until mid-May, the price of diesel and petrol will not exceed HUF 480.
In the context of this speech, the Prime Minister mentioned the “4 stop policy”, which means a cap on interest rates on residential mortgages, residential energy prices, food prices and fuel prices.
According to Mr Orbán, this policy is aimed at preventing inflation from exceeding 10%.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) reported last Friday that prices have risen by 7.9% this year compared to January last year.
Successful kick-off meeting
A meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and the food industry, led by Chief Veterinarian Dr. Lajos Bognár, was a success.
Among the topics covered were the changes to the Hungarian Food Guide, the adoption of the Digital Food Strategy programme this spring, the possibility of applying for the Food Quality Food Mark and other support for the food industry.
Also discussed was the Food Industry Development Strategy Report 2014-2020, which lays the groundwork for a development plan for the food industry.
Finally, the rules of the EU “Farm to Fork” strategy were mentioned.
The participating professional organisations also reported on their activities and current issues.