Hungary: Ecological wheat cultivation experiment a success
Preliminary results suggest Hungarian farmers will have access to the best varieties for ecological farming.
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The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi) and the Hungarian Seed Association have recently finished the first phase in a wheat cultivation experiment.
In the joint project, twenty-one winter wheat varieties (which have been developed in Hungary as well as abroad) have been tested for compatibility with ecological cultivation at seven testing sites spread out in the country.
The 2020/2021 testing phase is part of a multi-annual research program. Although the first year’s results seem promising, ÖMKi has also warned that a full assessment of the eco-compatibility of the tested wheat varieties can only be drawn based on at least two years’ worth of cultivation data.
However, the crop breeders who have commissioned the project are highly satisfied with the first year’s results and in 2022, testing will be expanded to include another batch of six wheat varieties.
“Based on the target figures of the agricultural policy strategies of Hungary and the EU, the amount of farmland involved in ecological production will drastically increase in the near future,” commented Dr. Péter Mikó of the Centre for Agricultural Research. “Right now, most of the ecologically produced wheat produced in Hungary is exported as an unprocessed raw material.”
Dr. Mikó has added that the appearance of the new artisan bakery trend in Hungary, and the expansion of grocery stores' eco product selections have really stimulated domestic demand, and the amount of Hungarian-grown ecologically produced wheat that is processed by the domestic milling industry is rising year after year.
The key to sustain the rising ecological cultivation trend, according to Dr. Mikó, is to supply domestic farmers with the most efficient crops that are the best suited for ecological cultivation.
However, there is much less information available for farmers involved in ecological farming than what their traditionalist counterparts have at their disposal. ÖMKi’s on-farm test series are dedicated to information dissemination and providing decision support for ecological farms.
Based on the latest data by Hungary’s Central Statistical Office (KSH), the total land area used in ecological farming in the country is about 300 thousand hectares. Out of this, roughly 40 thousand hectares of farmland is used in ecologically growing crops for human consumption. A large part of this is made up of winter wheat and spelt.
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Speaking of green transformation, In our latest article over at the Serbia section, we look at the successes and challenges of organic farming in Serbian agriculture – Find out more following this link. |
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