At the Saturday press conference of the campaign, at the 14th International Game Gastronomy Festival held in Pagony, Pákozd, Zoltán Kovács, the Government Commissioner responsible for the organisation of the ‘One with Nature’ World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition highlighted that the World Exhibition and the path leading there present an excellent opportunity for the popularisation of game meat.

This process will also be supported at the World Exhibition. Domestic game meat distributors will be present on the HUNGEXPO site, while in the gastronomy corridor it will be possible to taste game meat in a variety of forms. At the same time, OMÉK, the Hungarian Agriculture and Food Industry Exhibition and Fair will also be part of the World Exhibition, focusing on game meat, its processing and consumption.

He observed that the EU average of game meat consumption is one kilo, while in Hungary it is just 350 to 400 grammes, despite the fact that the doubling of this quantity could provide tens of billions of extra revenue for the economy.

Managing Director of the Agricultural Marketing Centre Péter Ondré stressed that Hungarian forests are full of game; yet, Hungarians consume more than 30 kilos of chicken a year, more than a hundred times the quantity of game meat, and this should change. He said it is important that by buying processed game meat, customers also help Hungarian businesses which are active in the processing industry.

He observed that the campaign will last until 30 September, and during this period there will be press appearances on TV and the radio as well as in the printed and electronic press, while at the OMÉK fair visitors will have the opportunity to try game meat.

Péter Zambó, Minister of State responsible for forests at the Ministry of Agriculture said every year 10,000 tonnes of game meat is produced in Hungary, but despite this little game meat is consumed locally. He indicated that it is a priority for the Ministry that Hungarian families consume more game meat as it is organic, healthy and safe food produced in a sustainable manner, and its production does not impose a burden on the environment as the production of other meat products does.

Chief Executive of the company VADEX Mezőföldi Zrt. Gábor Majoros said during earlier decades around 85 to 90 per cent of Hungarian game meat had been exported, and the domestic market had only had a minor share of these premium products. They would like to change this, and so they are now focusing on products which are more processed, lightly seasoned semi-ready and ready products, and as a result, no particular expertise is necessary for their preparation.

He mentioned that the retail of these products has started, and their introduction is also facilitated by the AMC’s campaign.