Farmers’ Markets Growing Increasingly Popular

More and more farmers’ markets are opening in Hungary, and the Ministry of Agriculture is fully supporting this development. According to Agriculture Minister István Nagy, from the point of view of the national economy, it is an important goal that Hungarian people choose products produced primarily in Hungary, reports Világgazdaság.

Last weekend, István Nagy visited Abda in Győr-Moson-Sopron county in western Hungary, where the Abda Agora marketplace was inaugurated. The local municipality won more than HUF 56 million (EUR 151,900) in funding from the Managing Authority of the Rural Development Program under the call for proposals for the development of infrastructure and equipment for local markets for the sale of products.

The Agriculture Minister said

it was important for Hungarians to buy local products, and this was particularly the case for food, the production of which provides jobs for workers in the food chain.

Nagy recalled that the government introduced the concept of farmers’ markets more than a decade ago, and supports the development of such facilities, with the aim of stimulating local farms.

As of today, the number of farmers’ markets has almost tripled, with more than 320 farmers’ markets operating in the country compared to autumn 2012.

These trading spaces provide people in rural areas with access to safe, high-quality food and make it easier for local producers to sell, the Minister added.

Nagy also said that the number of registered small producers has increased in line with the increase in the number of markets: while in 2010, there were around 5,000 registered small producers, in 2022, their number grew to 22,470.

Farmers’ markets are clearly becoming increasingly popular among Hungarians, with more and more of them opening in large cities as well. However, these markets are often more expensive than traditional markets or grocery stores, which may continue to discourage shoppers.

Featured photo via Pixabay