Agriculture

According to popular tradition, 29 June, Peter’s and Paul’s Day, is the beginning of harvest, wheat becoming ready for cutting around that day. Hungary is one of the pantries of Europe, a substantial part of the production of a quantity amply exceeding the internal demand (typically some half of wheat) being sold on external markets. Following the decline after the regime change, the domestic average yields of ear cereals dynamically rose, which is proven by all of the 10 years with the highest specific yield for barley and rye and seven years – including the record, 2021 – for wheat following 2010.

Hungary’s agriculture contributed to the gross value added of the national economy to a higher extent than the EU average (1.6%), by 2.8%, according to preliminary data, in 2024. A total of 12.6 million tonnes of cereals, 16% less than in 2023, were harvested on 2.2 million hectares. 1.8 million tonnes of sunflower were produced, with which Hungary became the largest sunflower producer in the European Union.

Bees are useful not only for honey production but a large part of the world’s agriculture also depends on them: by their pollinating activity they influence the reproduction of many plants. On the initiative of the Hungarian National Association of Beekeepers, the Day of Bees is held on 30 April from 1994 in Hungary, since life starts to flourish in beehives at around this time. The UN declared 20 May as World Bee Day from 2018, to draw attention this way as well to the importance of beekeeping. In addition to its use for food, honey is one of the oldest natural medicinal products, having about 70 kinds of curative effects as we know today.

The TÉR-KÉP (Map-Snap), 2023 publication focuses on the Tokaj wine district, as a special region. The 27-settlement cultural countryside is the 4th largest among the 22 wine districts of Hungary, representing 7% of the country’s vineyards. The wine district had 43 wine-shops per ten thousand inhabitants at the end of 2023, this number was only 2 on national level. The fact that the number of accommodation establishments (78 establishments/ten thousand inhabitants) in proportion of the population was significantly higher than the national average (47) highlights the touristic appeal of the region. The complete publication is available in Hungarian: TÉR-KÉP, 2023.

198 thousand farms were operating in Hungary on 1 June 2023, which was a decrease of 18% compared to 2020. According to the final data of the farm structure survey conducted in 2023, mostly small farms, producing lower values of production, finished their activity. In parallel, the average sizes of farms grew, and the dominance of crop production went on strengthening.

The total output of agriculture was above 4.0 thousand billion forints in 2024, being 8.0% lower than in the previous year. The lessening resulted from a combined narrowing of 4.4% in the total volume of production and of 3.8% in the price level. The volume of crop production was 11% smaller and that of livestock production 4.9% larger. The lessening in production affected almost all product groups, except for potatoes, live animals and animal products. The performance of agriculture became lower first of all owing to the weather with a lack of precipitation and the summer drought, which factors held back crop production. The expanding volume of livestock production did not compensate for the effect of the lessening producer price level of the sector.

The yearbook provides an overview of Hungary's demographic, social and economic processes, environmental characteristics and their changes over time, with the help of tens of thousands of data of 500 tables, graphs and maps. Innovatively, the Tourism, catering chapter in the volume includes the gross receipts of tourist accommodation establishments by type of accommodation. Another change is that this year the Regional data chapter already presents territorial data by tourism area, giving greater emphasis to tourist destinations.

Geopolitical tensions continued to overshadow economic developments in 2023, with the gross domestic product falling by 0.9%. Inflationary pressures gradually eased, but the 17.6% annual increase in consumer prices led to a decline in real earnings and consumption, and negatively affected investment decisions. Despite the economic difficulties, employment has reached a record high. In 2023, the number of deaths and births continued to fall, in addition to the decrease in the number of women of childbearing age.

The output of agriculture exceeded 4 thousand billion forints in Hungary in 2022, which was 19% higher than a year earlier. The growth was due to a 44% increase in prices. Owing to the weather with little precipitation, there was a decrease in the harvest of all crops, and a significant rise in expenditure hindered the performance of livestock production, too. Hungary made up 1.9% of the EU’s agricultural output. The net amount of subsidies on domestic production was 809 billion forints.

In line with EU trends, there was a decrease in the populations of all major livestock species by the end of 2022. Livestock numbers were unfavourably affected by fodder prices, having risen because of the poor cereal production, and by drastically increased energy prices, which caused a significant price rise, and, through this, a decrease in the demand. Many farmers disposed of a part of their livestock or finished their activities.

Because of the extreme drought, the harvest of the main field crops was significantly lower in 2022 than in the previous year. 10% less barley, 21% less wheat, harvested in the largest quantity, and 57% less maize, exposed the most to the drought, were reaped. The yield of sunflower, despite the growth in its production area, was down by 29% and that of rape, grown on a smaller area than previously, by 31%. As an impact of crop failures and uncertainties in supplies, procurement prices rose to record levels.