Hungary is an industrial and agrarian country located in the center of Europe. Due to its geographical location, Hungary has a mild climate and fertile soils; the growing season lasts from April to September, and all this contributes to the development of agriculture. All Hungarian soils are fertile and favorable for the development of agriculture, but have differs in their composition and fertility. The dominant soil types: podzolic, suitable for growing most crops, and chestnut, especially favorable for growing corn, sunflower, wheat, cover a third of the country's territory. A quarter of the country's territory is occupied by chernozem soils, which are considered the most important in agriculture, because they are suitable for growing such valuable crops as sugar beet, sunflower, wheat, grapes, vegetables, garden and many others. Such initial data contribute to the active development of grain and oilseed production, as well as seed production. According to data for 2021, Hungary ranks 5th in the world as an exporter of seed material, which is expressed in absolute numbers: about 100 thousand tons are sent annually to foreign markets. The total revenue from seed sales reaches about $ 635 million. About 15 thousand specialists are involved in the industry. About 15 thousand specialists are involved in the industry. 3.6 million hectares have been allocated for crop production, in particular for grain production, and the number of plowed lands is constantly growing every year. The development of technologies for cultivation, drying and storage of grain contributes to progress in the field of seed production. Over the past ten years, the amount of arable land has increased by 70%, which is equivalent to an increase of 110-130 thousand hectares and is expected to grow in the next 10 years. In Hungary, 50 of its own varieties of field crops are recognized as of national importance. There are more than 160 varieties of wheat of national importance, 17 of which make up 50% of the total seed material. According to available data, by the middle of 2021, Hungary had seed material: 105 thousand tons of wheat, 27.5 thousand tons of barley, 6500 tons of triticale in storage. Due to the high rate of development of genetics and breeding in the country, constant work is underway to refine and increase the yield of products per hectare of national field crops, which significantly increases their competitiveness in foreign markets. It should also be noted that the improvement of existing, valuable national varieties and the creation of hybrid ones in the absence of genetic modification allows us to obtain high-quality seed material, resistance to temperature changes, diseases, pests, not inferior in quality to the world, including genetically modified, while maintaining ecological safety and genetic diversity of varieties.
The climate of the southern part of Russia is similar to that of Hungary, which opens up a wide field for both the use of ready-made seed material and cooperation, localization of seed production in these territories.
A small experience in testing Hungarian seed material was carried out on the basis of the A.G. Lorch Potato FITZ in the Kaluga region, where high results were shown, which once again confirms the need for more in-depth cooperation in this area.
Two of the largest Hungarian seed companies are currently operating on the Russian market: WOODSTOCK and Marton Genetics.
WOODSTOCK: This year the company celebrated its 32nd anniversary. Over the past 32 years, the company has become one of the leaders of the cement market in the CIS countries, becoming a well-known and reliable brand for agricultural producers. In recent years, the company's hybrids have become increasingly popular in the countries of central and northern Europe. Global climate changes and market needs require an expansion of the range of corn hybrids. The range of innovative premium hybrids of the GS series has expanded. These hybrids cover all groups of ripeness from FAO 180 to 460, which are actually sown in the fields of Russian regions. These hybrids stand out for their stress resistance, high adaptability to the surrounding growing conditions and significantly higher yields in their ripeness group.
The principal difference of the company's innovation activity is the use of a very wide genetic base, as a result of close cooperation with seven European breeding centers, in order to create the most suitable corn hybrids for each region. The seeds produced and supplied, in addition to high genetic value, are also distinguished by the highest quality of seeds and are characterized by early maturity.
Marton Genetics: The modern formation of the company appeared 30 years ago, having stood out from the company that has been selling seeds for more than 70 years. The company pays special attention to close communication with grain producers and scientific specialists, which allows it to actively modify its hybrids to meet changing market conditions. It has a wide range of winter and spring hybrid wheat with high yield and good stability, feed barley, triticale, oats, peas and rapeseed. It produces highly productive seed-growing material of spelt-one of the oldest types of film soft wheat, characterized by precocity, resistance to adverse conditions and low gluten content. Produces a wide range of seeds of hybrid corn FAO 150-500.
Separately, it should be noted that with the highest quality of seed material from Hungarian producers, its price is lower than the average market, which means it is more accessible to the Russian manufacturer and opens up a wide field for development and interaction.