Ambassador-designate of Hungary to the Philippines Dr. Titanilla Tóth and Head of Commercial Section/Vice Consul Gábor Lehőcz paid a courtesy visit to Agriculture Secretary William Dar on November 26, 2020, at the Department of Agriculture (DA). They discussed several matters including the resiliency of the agriculture sector, knowledge transfer, and trade, among others.

The officials also discussed the trading of poultry and livestock products that has to be under careful evaluation. In the field of rice research and development of drought-resistant varieties, the Hungarian ambassador said they could offer knowledge transfer in partnership with the Philippine Rice Research Institute. She also shared that Hungary is offering full scholarships for Filipino students and one of the major areas of study is on agriculture.

During the meeting, Secretary Dar highlighted that while consecutive typhoons hit the country, early warning systems helped the sector save over P32-billion worth of production. He said the sector has to consider natural disasters and other impacts of climate change to adapt and be more resilient.

The ambassador praised Secretary Dar and the DA family for “working very well” and for the “very amazing performance of the agriculture sector” despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)