XII. Baja Grain Partnership Meeting

Difficulties in agriculture, trade and logistics were the main topic this year.

Two years were missed, but this year the national grain forum was organized again in Baja. At the opening of the Bácskai Cultural Palace, the chief organizer László Nagy, the managing director of Bajai OKK Kft., said that difficulties were discussed every year, but a solution was always found. This time, the war raging next door, the runaway energy prices, the rise in fuel prices and the lack of qualified professionals are a real test, but: "Do business even in the unexpected, difficult economic environment!" The mayor of Baja, Klára Nyirati, also welcomed the participants, emphasizing the huge pressure on the logistics and trade networks. "It is a difficult task to transport and store the goods that escaped from the terrible war, but at the same time, a humanitarian disaster threatens if it is not possible to replace and deliver the lost goods to the appropriate countries. In connection with transport, he also drew attention to the well-functioning port of Baja with national public traffic. Member of Parliament Róbert Zsigó emphasized the importance of the Baja meeting and the opportunity to exchange experiences. "For those working in agriculture, the situation has never been easy, you always have to adapt to the weather. The energy crisis and the state of war further worsen the outlook. "Hungary's food security is very important now!"

The series of professional presentations by dr. Attila Hugyecz (Paks 2nd chief adviser) started by drawing attention to the fact that electricity is key in addition to grain and logistics. An adequate amount of electricity must be provided for consumption. One way is the German model: stopping the nuclear power plant, giving preference to wind and solar energy. The best example of the other way is France, where nuclear power plants are being built and planned. The latter has many followers in Europe, and tenders are issued continuously. "The advantages and disadvantages of all technologies must be examined!" The general council presented the current status of construction in Paks, as well as visual plans.

Péter Kiss, president of the Grain Association, spoke about the changes in the supply chain. The main question: how and for how much the goods reach the target markets. Last year's grain is still standing in Ukraine, meanwhile the new crop is coming. Funding is a big task, financial disaster can also occur." Kornél Vancsura, the president of the Febagro Group of Companies (winner of the Agrarian Person of the Year 2021 award in the Arable Crops category) emphasized that the importance of the international conference in Baja also lies in the fact that professionals share real information with each other, so there is no need to deal with fake news and disinformation.
The two foreign partner ports of Bajai Országos Közforgalmú Kikötőmöködtető Kft. were also presented. "The conference is extremely important, especially because of the two-year gap due to the epidemic situation and the current war situation, as we can exchange experience, and with the help of new information and contacts, we can more easily solve the tasks before us", emphasized Sanja Djurisic, Commercial Director of the Port of Pančova. A round table discussion closed the conference, while the XII. At the Baja Grain Partnership meeting, the business dinner took place at the Koch Winery.

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