Main trends in Hungarian agriculture

Abstract

In Hungary the establishment of cooperative farms has radically changed the organizational conditions of production. Nowadays almost three quarters of the agricultural production comes from the co-operative sector. However, the production of small household plots is significant with respect to certain farm products. Thus, 65 per cent of the eggs, 43—46 per cent of the wine, 33—35 per cent of the milk, 30—33 per cent of the slaughtered cattle, 29 per cent of the fruits and 13—15 per cent of the slaughtered pigs come from small privately farmed plots. The efficiency of Hungarian agriculture has developed rapidly since the early 1960s. This is reflected in the increase of average per hectare yields. In the late 1960s two substantial price rises occurred in agriculture. Experience since then shows that with the introduction of the reform and with the rise in the price level the role and scope of prices has become greater and wider. Nowadays it is believed that it is possible to manage farms successfully without compulsory plan directions using more economic regulators instead.