Portfolio AgroFood 2024

Are you a smallholder? Or have you started farming recently? Now you can participate in the outstanding spring agricultural event, the AgroFood 2024 Conference in Kecskemét, on 22 May with a 50% discount.

Please, fill out the following form, and Portfolio’s professional team will assess your claim so that you can redeem your discounted ticket.

If you have filled out the form, save it and send it to kistermeloikedvezmeny@portfolio.hu.

The subject of the letter: Portfolio AgroFood 2024 – smallholder application

You can access the form by clicking here.

Food industry enterprises are in the spotlight in the current EU budget cycle, as they have access to significantly larger rural development funds compared to previous cycles, totalling several hundred billion forints, to invest in enhancing their competitiveness. The session will present the main development directions for the industry and, depending on the size of the company, the areas of investment perspective. Experts will review what rural development grants have been or will be opened up for players in the industry, who and for what purposes are most likely to win grants, how to submit successful applications, and what could be the main evaluation and assessment criteria.

Which might be the main development areas for the domestic food industry? Which food industries are most worth investing in? What rural development tenders are available for food businesses? Which market players should apply for which development objectives? How to submit successful applications What are the main evaluation and assessment criteria? What other support can food businesses expect?

There has been a substantial drop in demand in the domestic food market recently, significantly reducing the sales opportunities for businesses in the industry. The experts in this session will analyse what demand trends are expected to prevail in the food market this year and in the longer term and the main factors that could influence food consumption. In addition, there will be a discussion on how consumer expectations regarding food are changing, what characterises food industry and food retail supplier relationships, as well as the requirements retailers impose on food industry enterprises and what practices they employ during the sale of food products. The other main topic of the session revolves around the short- and long-term financing opportunities that food industry enterprises can expect in the upcoming period. The roundtable will discuss how the improving macroeconomic environment affects the financing opportunities for food businesses, the industry's resource needs, and the specific aspects of the banking sector that determine the lending to companies. Additionally, the session presents how credit conditions may change in the near future, what new credit products banks are introducing to the market for the food industry, and what discounted financing options industry enterprises can avail themselves of.

How is demand for food on the domestic market likely to develop in the coming period? How are consumer expectations of food changing, and how can producers meet them? What are the characteristics of food industry/food retail supplier relationships, and how can they be improved? What requirements do retail chains impose on food suppliers? What commercial practices characterise the domestic food market when selling products? How can financing opportunities for food businesses be increased in the coming period? How do banks assess the industry's situation, and what specific aspects do they take into account when providing financing? How might credit conditions for food businesses change in an improving macroeconomic environment? What are the primary banking requirements for lending to the food industry? What new food credit products are banks entering the market with? Can food businesses count on soft loans?

Food companies have (also) faced significant employment problems recently, and finding the right – skilled – workforce will remain a challenge for most businesses. The session will examine how the labour market situation could evolve in the near future and whether employment opportunities in the industry could improve. The experts will also analyse how labour costs in the food industry may change and what role foreign labour may play in industry employment. There will be focus on the biggest opportunities for progress in vocational training, additional public instruments to reduce employment difficulties, and practical solutions for businesses in the industry to tackle their labour problems.

What are domestic labour market trends, and what changes can be expected in the coming period?  How can employment opportunities in the food industry change in the labour market? What plans and programmes are in place to increase the supply of skilled food industry workers? What role can foreign labour play in the domestic food industry? What other public instruments can be considered to alleviate employment problems? What are the most effective practical solutions to reduce labour shortages at a company level? How can labour costs in the food industry be changed and optimised?

Food businesses are facing significant challenges due to regulatory changes recently entering into force in product packaging. The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) have brought extensive changes to industry operation and put companies in a new position. The main themes of the session will be how the food industry can meet the new requirements, what further regulatory steps are expected for packaging, and how to optimise and reduce additional burdens in the new legislative environment. The experts also provide an overview of the main trends shaping product packaging and the expected evolution of packaging raw material supply and prices. 

How to optimise the additional burden of Extended Producer Responsibility in food business management How will the Deposit Return Scheme change the way the industry works? What other legislative changes or amendments to product packaging are expected? How can packaging prices develop in the domestic market? What are the most crucial trends in product packaging in the food market?

This session will focus on the export development opportunities of domestic food businesses, highlighting which relationships offer the greatest market access and breakthrough opportunities for the domestic sector. The experts will also analyse the most effective tools for increasing export performance, the role of community agricultural marketing, and other effective marketing strategies that can contribute to successful (external) market presence.

Which relations offer the greatest opportunities for domestic food companies to expand abroad? Will the European dominant role in Hungarian agricultural exports be maintained, or will the strategy of "opening towards the East and the South" provide expansion opportunities? What are the most effective tools for food export development and financing? What role can community agricultural marketing play in improving foreign market positions? What other marketing strategies can contribute to food producers' successful market presence?

Be our guest for a glass of champagne after the technical programme, and don't miss the networking opportunity with conference participants and speakers!