Germanyʼs FAKT AG is building a EUR 1 billion horticultural production, processing and logistics center on an area of 330 hectares located on the outskirts of Hegyeshalom and Bezenye (northwestern Hungary), Minister of Agriculture István Nagy told reporters in nearby Mosonmagyaróvár on Tuesday.
Nagy described the development as unique in Central Europe, centred around a horticultural production, processing and logistics center able to serve the commercial needs of customers to the highest level across the continent, business news site vg.hu reported.
The project will also include a fish farm, 30 hectares of greenhouses, 50 hectares of open-air horticultural area, cooling containers, a conference hall and hotel, as well as motorway access and apartments to be added at a later stage.
The full investment will create 5,000 jobs, said FAKT AG Chairman-CEO Hubert Schulte-Kemper. He described the project as the largest agricultural investment of its kind in recent times in Hungary, by which FAKT aims to turn out agricultural and food products in a modern, sustainable manner, while creating a liveable working and dwelling environment around the site. The investors also plan to cooperate in training, higher education, and research in the region.
Official government website kormany.hu cited Schulte-Kemper as saying that the site was chosen due to its location on the Budapest-Vienna-Bratislava axis, offering outstanding infrastructure in both the north-south and east-west directions.
Nagy noted that in 2018, Hungary imported fresh fruit to a value of some HUF 83.8 bln, and fresh vegetables worth HUF 75.5 bln. He said that the FAKT investment may represent a huge step forward, citing as an example the untapped potential for production of tomatoes and cucumbers for both domestic and export consumption, according to the vg.hu report.
Source: bbj.hu
