Representatives of 7 agricultural cooperatives – pepper producer’s members of the Macedonian association of agricultural cooperatives and the Cooperative Unions of Vojvodina and South Serbia in the period from January 22-24, 2023 were part of the study visit in Szentes, Hungary, organized within the EDGE project: Improved production and quality of selected fruit and vegetables financed by USAID. As part of the visit, the participants had the opportunity to learn about the process of pepper production in Hungary with a special emphasis on production and post-harvest activities, that is, the process of packaging and selling.
One of the visits was realized in Arpad-Agrar ZRT located in Szentes as one of the internationally recognized agricultural companies established 50 years ago. The horticulture of the Árpád group of companies is one of the largest vegetable growing companies in Hungary and their products can be found in many parts of Europe. Horticultural management plays a dominant role in the economy of Árpád-Agrár Ltd. Their horticultural activities take place on about 39.6 hectares and the most important vegetables are: sweet white pepper, tomatoes, California pepper and hot peppers. The nurseries that are produced on 5.5 hectares are also significant. Their equipment is heated by 20 thermal wells and they sell the goods through the company DélKerTÉSZ.
Particularly significant was the visit to Délalföldi Kertészek Szövetkezete also, as the biggest agricultural cooperative for pepper production in Hungary with 500 members (producers) and 53.000 tons of fresh vegetables on annual level on nearly 50 hectares of glasshouses and 100 hectares of greenhouses. Délalföldi says yes to sustainability and environmental awareness and significant number of their producers use beneficial insects in the fight against pests, i.e. they use 97% integrated biological plant protection. At DélKerTÉSZ, in addition to high quality, sustainability is the most important aspect. They produce with integrated biological protection of plants, they heat the greenhouses and foils with geothermal energy, thermal water, and they also have their own solar park. The goal of the cooperative is to create and support a community of producers based on trust as wide as possible, in which all actors can identify with the basic principles of the cooperative. They constantly strive to create value with their reliably sourced products and lay the foundation for a greener and sustainable future.
