Czerván György, of Lidl Hungary, said that starting next year the new system under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be implemented, allowing apple growers to modernise the plantations, thereby increasing their yield.
This season, Hungary expects to harvest 780-800 thousand tonnes of apples. This is approximately 200-250 thousand tonnes more (+40%) than the average of previous years. Domestic apple consumption is expected to reach around 250 thousand tonnes, which is about 75 thousand tonnes more than the average.
According to György, this year Hungary had 27 thousand hectares of apple plantations run by 7,500 producers. He also noted that there is still plenty of potential to increase domestic consumption. Additionally, Hungarian processed apple products, mainly concentrates, can be exported to Europe, as they are of really good quality.
Grósz Jenő, president of the board of directors of Lidl Hungary, addressed reporters on the importance of promoting Hungarian products. Lidl Hungary considers it a high priority, as far as possible, to supply mainly Hungarian fruit and vegetable products to its customers.
He pointed out that last year, Lidl Hungary launched a programme called "the Hungarian supplier for Lidl." As a result, Lidl has expanded its product range in Hungary. The marketing of Hungarian products compared to the period prior to the start of the programme has increased by nearly 20 percent.
He also mentioned that Hungarian fruit and vegetable products are not only popular domestically, but also abroad. As for Hungarian apples, from September 2013 to September 2014 Lidl stores sold about 4,000 tonnes domestically. The company aims for this figure to continue increasing, with the target set at least 5,000 tonnes.