“It is useful for me to know that the country is thriving not only from figures, but to also see projects such as this for myself”, the Prime Minister said at the settlement in Heves County.
He stressed that the Visonta plant will process 250,000 tonnes of Hungarian GMO-free wheat with a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology, without any waste. With this quantity, in a year with a good crop rate, the plant will be able to process one tenth of Hungarian wheat intended for exports, Mr Orbán pointed out, adding that the goal is that the least possible wheat should leave the country unprocessed.
The Prime Minister also made it clear that Hungary “cannot yield an inch” on its agriculture remaining GMO-free as the Hungarian people decided that they wish to see GMO-free foodstuffs on the shelves of shops, and the Visonta plant is a guarantee for this. He further highlighted that the wheat processing plant now inaugurated will be able to manufacture gluten-free wheat starch in large quantities which will make the lives of many people easier.
The Prime Minister stressed that “in the future we will need many such companies, brave businesses with a good sense of enterprise” which may then lead the way for local development and innovation. The goal is, he continued, that the most advanced solutions should be developed in Hungary, so that “we ourselves should use these new technologies”.
Regarding the government grant worth HUF 6.2 billion provided for the Visonta project, Mr Orbán observed that “we would give grants to businesses in other towns and villages throughout the country if there were only more plans and more enterprise”. Today, it is not the shortage of money that restricts the development of the Hungarian economy, but much more the lack of viable, large-scale, internationally competitive plans and enterprise, he said.
On behalf of the owners, Lőrinc Mészáros described the factory completed on time, which is Hungary’s only and Central Europe’s most modern wheat starch plant, as an intelligent, environmentally friendly, 21st century facility. He indicated that the Mátra Power Station located in the vicinity will supply energy to the plant. He expressed hope that the wheat starch plant will be highly successful, and said at the same time that the second and third phases will be completed by May to June.
The greenfield project cost HUF 33 billion, for the purposes of which the government provided a grant worth HUF 6.2 billion, while the own resources amounted to some EUR 30 million. The rest was financed from bank loans, Mr Mészáros said.
Anett Tóth, Managing Director of Viresol Kft. said that today is an important day in the history of industry, and the plant testifies to local innovation and expertise. She highlighted that all the pre-conditions necessary for successful operations are given, and they will use the latest, cutting-edge technology available in the sector.
László Horváth, Member of Parliament for the constituency said that those living at the foot of the Mátra Mountain are proud of their values and their land, they respect and appreciate those who create values on the foundations of those assets and provide jobs.
According to the information brochure distributed at the event, the plant implemented from an investment worth HUF 33 billion – which is owned in majority by the company Opus Global Nyrt. and the construction of which began in 2015 – will provide jobs for more than 250 people in the region directly, and for some 700 people suppliers included. In the plant wheat is broken down into individual components, and each valuable component is then processed.
Viresol is a supplier of the world’s largest multinational companies, their products are used in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, and they also manufacture animal feed and nutrition products. The raw materials manufactured in the Visonta plant can be found in every walk of life: they are present in most products, from paper to cosmetics, from detergents to tablets, from tile adhesives to plasterboard, from biscuits to instant soup powder, the information material reads.