Hungarian Agricultural Research, 1992 (I/1-2)
1992-09-01 / 1. szám
On the occasion of the first issue of the journal „Hungarian Agricultural Research”, 1 greet the Honorable Reader on my own behalf and on behalf of the agricultural researchers in Hungary. Hungary’s ecological and geo-economic location provides nearly all conditions for high standards of agricultural production. Agricultural production and, within it, agricultural commodity production, has historical traditions in the nation’s economy. Agricultural products had played a decisive role in Hungary’s foreign trade far back in the historical past; they have been important components of our presence in the international markets in the recent past and today. Hungary’s agricultural exports are to play an important part in the future as well. This may account for the fact that an intellectual cooperation to scientifically support production had emerged long ago in Hungary’s agricultural production. In the intellectual life of this country, the specialized institutions of agricultural science were among the first to emerge following the creation of universal scientific institutions. They assumed important functions in laying the scientific foundations for agricultural production, in developing the processing of agricultural products. In the 20th century science has played an enhanced role in all sectors of economy. Production to the market became predominant in agriculture, too; this was accompanied by the demand for a warranted and steady quality. These factors had a significant impact on the trend of agricultural research in Hungary. This research emerged and developed along actual needs and demands. Accordingly, it has always been characterized by a powerful pragmatic orientation. The cultivators of this field of science and those applying the achievements have always been open to absorb international scientific knowledge. This openness was coupled with an ability to cooperate as well as to receive. A number of achievements in Hungary’s agriculture derived from the inexhaustible source created by the international scientific community. Covering the entire area of agrarian science, the agricultural research activities in Hungary are focused on the continuous development of biological foundations, the incessant study of environmental and value-preserving technologies and the ecological environmnet, the modernization of production technologies and the satisfaction of the permanently renewing quality requirements. The major achievements of research also derived from this field. Transforming the entire Hungarian society and economy, the change of the system imposes new requirements on Hungary’s agricultural research, too. The structure of our agriculture and its ownership forms are in the process of change. The transformed Hungarian agriculture will rely again upon private properties, with enterprising farmers and new types of cooperatives emerging in increasing numbers beside the fewer and fewer big farms. A greater emphasis will be laid on economic approach, environment-friendly production technologies, the higher value added in the course of processing, quality, Hungarian specialties, value-preserving or sustainable agriculture. I am convinced that the Hungarian agricultural researchers, scientists, the network of Hungarian agricultural research institutes are capable of meeting the new challenges. Leading the changes in this special area, they will contribute to Hungary joining again Europe, of which it has been an integral constituent part for 1100 years. Despite this rich and varied scientific activity, Hungary’s agricultural research has so far not possessed a continuously issued specific professional journal presenting its own activities. Therefore, the journal „Hungarian Agricultural Research” is to redeem and old-time debt. The primary objective of this journal is to present the sphere of issues to be solved by the cultivators of agricultural science; to describe the scientific methods by which the problems are to be solved, and to provide information about the scientific achievements obtained. All this will enable the readers of the journal to have an insight in the work of our scientific workshop and, as a result, to form a picture of the standards of Hungary’s agriculture. We would like to make the international scientific public familiar with the potential of the Hungarian agricultural research; on the other hand, we would like also to leam the opinion of foreign research workers about our scientific activities. I sincerely hope and wish that you will be a regular reader of the jorunal, honouring the editors with your attention or even papers and comments. vIjDr. Elemér Gergátz Minister of Agriculture 2