Hungarian watermelons, one of the summer seasonal products to which the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) pays special attention, have been available since the beginning of July in the domestic market.
Zsigó Robert, State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture (FM) said that inspections are currently underway, and that steps are being taken when it is suspected that non-Hungarian watermelons are being sold, a measure intended to protect the domestic produce in the market.
He added that the sector has been strengthened since the launch of this national programme, with the country's total acreage for melons and watermelons amounting to 6,000 hectares, from which approximately 10,000 families make a living. Hungarian watermelons also seek overseas buyers, as almost half of the watermelons produced in Hungary are exported.
On Monday, the Ministry launched a marketing campaign designed to attract more consumers to buy Hungarian watermelons, highlighting how "the domestic produce is always fresher and has a better flavour than imports."
Mártonffy Béla, president of the Fruit and Vegetable Interprofessional Organisation (FruitVeb) stated that this year's Hunarian watermelon production will be very large.
Source: index.hu
