ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. Although the central planning system of the Hungarian economy changed after 1968, there was not any considerable decrease of state interference nor was there any significant increase in the role of the market. It was the system of state interference which changed: instead of direct methods the emphasis was primarily put on indirect methods (price subsidies, taxes, loans). The role of the market continued to remain of secondary importance, which was mainly indicated by the low level of market competition. In addition, the economic system fundamentally affected agricultural marketing. The role of the market started to be valued significantly from 1989–1990. In this article I shall describe the initial situation of a market-oriented economy as well as the major trends and the first steps of the new programme.
