HUNGARY
MA-HAL, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation
Defending the interests of the aquaculture sector In Hungary the entire pond ďŹ sh farming sector, producers, processors, traders, research and development and training institutions, is represented by a single organisation, MA-HAL, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation, under the leadership of Dr Istvan Nemeth.
A
n umbrella organisation that represents the entire pond fish farming sector, MA-HAL was founded in 2017 by merging the 60-year-old Hungarian Association of Fish Producers and Fishing Water Users with the Hungarian Aquaculture Association. Today the organisation fulfils a variety of roles. It promotes best practices and market transparency, coordinates marketing activities and explores potential export markets, improves knowledge of production and markets, and facilitates dialogue between the different actors in the supply chain. By participating in national and EU projects MA-HAL also contributes to innovation in the aquaculture sector.
Impressive achievements to MA-HAL’s credit Above all the organisation works to protect and further its members’ interests. In pursuit of this the organisation can claim some notable achievements, says Dr Istvan Nemeth, President of the organisation. For example, since January 2018 the VAT rate on fish has been reduced from 27 to 5. While the reduction was part of a wider government campaign to tax the most important foods at the lowest rates of VAT, MA-HAL played a key role in ensuring that it also applied to fish. Another measure that MA-HAL together
with the National Chamber of Agriculture was responsible for was the practical elimination of the water resource fee, which is a tax that farmers pay for the water they use. The organisation is also working towards a uniform water service fee, the charge paid to the water supplier for providing the water, for which currently different farmers could pay wildly different amounts. Sometimes the amount worked out so high that it made the farm uncompetitive. High fees for water service, in some cases, says Dr Nemeth, could have an impact on the profitability of the farm making it difficult for the farmer to apply for EMFF funds as he would not be able to afford his own contribution that is necessary to get the support. This is why MA-HAL is fighting for the water service fee to be set at HUF1,500 (EUR4.7) per ha.
Dr Istvan Nemeth, President, Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation (MA-HAL)
MA-HAL is open to anyone with a connection to fish farming joining the organisation. In practice, however, it has been the farmers with the largest area that are members. They represent 80 of the total farm area in Hungary and number about 50. Membership fees are linked to the area and vary from EUR2,500 to 3,000 for the biggest famers and EUR150-200 for the smallest, those having a holding of 5 to 10 ha. Membership earns every member the same
level of service irrespective of the amount paid, and every member, big or small, has a single vote. Membership of MA-HAL gives certain basic rights, but there is no disguising the fact that with a membership encompassing different levels in the supply chain not all the members’ interests are aligned which can lead to conflicts. Dr Nemeth is frank about this aspect of the organisation. Producers, processors and traders within the organisation have
different interests, he says. It is obvious that producers would like to receive more money for their fish than traders are willing to pay. This situation is further complicated by the fact that the price of fish fluctuates being cheaper in autumn and winter and more expensive in spring and summer. The reason is that the warm water in summer makes it more difficult to harvest and transport live fish, and the presence of tourists pushes up demand.
EUROFISH Magazine 1 / 2019
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