Caritas distributes 10,500 seedlings to families in need, donated by the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Similarly to previous years, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) has donated vegetable seedlings to Caritas Hungary. The 10,500 zucchini, pepper, tomato, cucumber and celery plants will help provide food long-term for 600 families in need in eleven dioceses.

The tomato and pepper seedlings were planted in March, while the cucumber, celery and zucchini seedlings were sown in April in the Budatétény Rose Garden. Throughout the growing period, expert hands provided continuous watering, nutrients, and even heating for the seedlings during the cold nights. The growth of the plants was conscientiously monitored by university staff and MATE horticultural engineering students, amounting for more than 600 working hours. This year, 500 celery seedlings were among the donated plants, diversifying the vegetable donations even further.

"It is particularly gratifying to see the expansion and success of the seedling donation program between MATE and Caritas Hungary, as every year we are able to donate more and more varieties of certified Hungarian plant species to families in need. What’s more, the vegetable seedlings have been proving their worth for decades in national and international horticultural production. In addition to providing high quality, competitive education, social responsibility is also a priority area for the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, to which this event is an excellent link. We are confident that every year more and more needy families will be able to benefit from the vegetable seedlings, thus providing the basis for a healthy diet, and that the further cultivation of the seedlings will also reduce their financial difficulties", said Dr. Csaba Gyuricza, Rector of MATE on the occasion of delivering the seedlings.

Gábor Écsy, National Director of Caritas Hungary remarked: “We are grateful for the continuation of this cooperation, as a result of which we were able to include many families in the program. This year, even the households of our Emerging Settlements program will receive a good portion of these donations, as, thanks to MATE, we were able to contact them in good time and prepare them to receive the seedlings."

The CH staff will distribute the seedlings to a total of 600 families in Budapest, Esztergom, Győr, Hajdúdorog, Kalocsa, Kaposvár, Miskolc, Pannonhalma, Pécs, Szeged, Vác, Veszprém and the surrounding areas, as well as in a number of emerging settlements.

Source: Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences