Hungarian NGOs

2.2.1. Magyar Kertészeti Tanács – Hungarian Horticultural Council (MKT)

Hungarian Horticultural Council is the strongest organization of the Hungarian horticultural sector. It monitors continually the Hungarian horticultural production and trade, the changes of international situation, and the ever-changing trends. It is connected with the parliament, attends in its professional commissions, provides assessment of situations, prepares decisions and determinates strategies. It supports developments and events relating to horticultural sector. The Council is in close contact with the Hungarian Ornamental Plant Association and Commodity Board.

2.2.2. Dísznövény Szövetség és Terméktanács – Hungarian Ornamental Plant Association and Commodity Board (DSZTT)

The primary task of the Hungarian Ornamental Plant Association and Commodity Board (http://dsztt.hu/) is the protection of interests of ornamental plant growers, traders and users. There are several changing year by year both in Hungary and in foreign countries, to which it tries to take answers, which are accepted by the widest public: not only by growers but also traders. It tends to take such decisions, which provides the market expansion and increases the trade, which is so contributes the development in floriculture and maintains its position in the international competition. Among others, Commodity Board has the following tasks:

Through its opinion it influences the Hungarian and EU regulations, which have effect on ornamental plant sector. It helps its members to invest and develop their business with the assist of applying for EU and national tenders. It supports its traders to become able to sell their goods as widely as possible, thus across the boarders as well. It develops and maintains consumption encouraging marketing, and it tries to put up money for it. It subserves the utilization of cost price reducing alternative energies, especially the spread of thermal energy, with the creation of the required financial background for the investment.

It calls for a higher level in the research, education and consultancy, because Hungary can cope only with higher preparedness in international

level. It supports the members to comply the increased environmental standards as easy as possible.

It tries to demonstrate the significance, diversity and economic power of ornamental plant sector as precisely as possible, that the government accepts the Commodity Board as an interlocutor. However, this requires cooperation between growers and traders, which is not yet satisfied fully nowadays.

Beyond some farms and individuals the following 11 associations are the member of the Ornamental Plant Association:

1./ Cserepes Dísznövénytermesztők Egyesülete – Association of Ornamental Pot Plant Growers

This association brings together the potted flowering and foliage plant growers at national level. It represents the interests of the members, organises professional meetings and trainings, helps to sell the goods at home and abroad, supports the collective participation in national and international exhibitions, publishes common booklets and seeks tendering opportunities for the members.

2./ Dél-Magyarországi Kertészek Egyesülete – Association of South Hungarian Growers

Due to the climatic situation of Hungary production zones formed in the country. One of the most frequented regions is located in the southern part of the Great Hungarian Plain near Szeged because of the particularly high number of sunny days and hours of sunshine. The intensity of irradiation is also the highest within the country. As a result, several horticultural businesses were established in this region, which is called “small Aalsmeer” by profession. The Association represents the interests of these growers.

3./ Flora Hungaria Dísznövénytermesztői Egyesület – Flora Hungaria Ornamental Plant Production Association

Flora Hungaria is the largest ornamental plant wholesale market in Hungary. It was established by approx 500 members on area of 10,000 m² in Szigetszentmiklós in 1998. The Association supports the production of cut, pot and annual plants, and the organization of their wholesale interests of institutions and specialists, coordinate professional activity and report regularly about them, organise forums and conferences, support the preservation and development of arboreta and live plants collections and through them to save the Hungarian natural and cultural resources.

5./ Magyar Dísznövény Nagykereskedők Országos Egyesülete – Hungarian Association of Flower Wholesalers

The Association comprises ornamental plant wholesalers specifically. It represents their interests, monitors the trends in Europe and worldwide, informs its members in order to become their trading activities as successful as possible.

6./ Magyar Kertészeti Árudák Egyesülete – Association of Hungarian Retail Garden Centres

The aim of the Association is to bring together the nursery retailers, represent their interests and through them to guarantee the quality in sale points. It utilizes the possibilities for cooperation, shapes uniform image and tries for the international acceptance of this commercial form.

7./ Magyar Kertészeti Szakképző Intézmények Szövetsége – Alliance of Hungarian Horticultural Training Institutions

The mission of the Alliance is to enhance the level of education and instruction in horticultural training institutions, raise the gardening culture to a higher level. It supports the cooperation between horticultural training institutions, preserves and introduces horticultural traditions, increases the activity of institutional management in the field of vocational education development. In addition, it encourages new international partnerships, it support the exchanges of teachers and students in order to gain international experience. It maintains close relations with horticultural employers, improves access to first employment for graduated students, applies for vocational education support of employers and provides legal and professional advisory and information.

8./ Magyar Növény-Mikroszaporítók Egyesülete – Hungarian Plant Micropropagation Association

The aim of the Association is to support the work of cultivating, training and researching laboratories, and represent their interests. The exchange of experiences and the joint purchasing are considerable assistance for cultivating laboratories. It coordinates the research subjects, takes part in international EU research programs (COST Action 822 than 843), organises the participation in conferences, etc. Education is assisted by a lecture note written few years ago by the members of the Association, while a textbook was published about the micropropagation of horticultural plants in 2005. Usually, researching laboratories trains as well, however threatened strongly by the inflow of Central American and Central African import roses.

10./ Magyar Virágkötők, Virágkereskedők Szakmai Egyesülete – Association of Hungarian Florists and Flower Traders

The number of its members is over 1000 currently. The purpose of the Association is to enhance the professional level of the Hungarian floristry, promote and propagate it in public. Under these objectives, it contributes to the development of Hungarian floriculture, and to the increasing of flower consumption.

11./ Nyugat-dunántúli Díszfaiskolások Egyesülete – Western Transdanubian Nursery Association

The Western Transdanubian Nursery Association was established in 1990 with the participation of 45 nurseries in order to coordinate the production of ornamental tree and perennial nurseries, and to represent their interests. In this context, it helps to solve technical problems, organises professional and economic trainings, common technical programs, dissemination and education. It represents the interests of its members through nationwide bodies. It coordinates the production of ornamental tree nurseries, provides information about new legalisation and regulation.

It maintains close contact with similar domestic and foreign professional organisations. Today, it counts more that 200 members.

2.2.3. AGRYA: Fiatal Gazdák Magyarországi Szervezete – Hungarian Organisation of Young Farmers

The main task of AGRYA is to establish cooperation and partnership between young farmers. Its programs provide meeting facilities for young farmers in similar life situation and age. Its important role is the information service. It informs its members mostly about the European Common Agricultural Policy and its changing, and about the available agricultural supports. Membership is informed in different programs. In addition, its mission is to introduce the young generation to external publicity. In the present altering production and supporting situation, it is important to demonstrate what farmers do, what are their role and responsibility in the production of food of adequate quality and safety. So, the Organisation is very active in media communication, so as to show to professional partners and general public the work of young farmers and their own organisation.

Test questions:

1. List the international defence organisations!

2. List the Hungarian defence organisations!

3. Describe the structure of AIPH and the functions of its Committees!

4. Describe the main tasks of the Hungarian Ornamental Plant Association and Commodity Board!

5. Describe the roles of International Flower Trade Association (UF)!

6. Describe the functions of the International Exhibitions Bureau!

7. Describe the tasks of the Washington Convention (CITES)!

8. Describe the roles of UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants)!

9. Describe the work of ENA (European Nurserystock Association)!

10. Describe the work and functions of the Western Transdanubian Nursery Association!

11. Describe the purposes and activities of the Hungarian Organisation of Young Farmers!

MODERN SYSTEMS IN PRODUCTION AND COMMERCE OF