Fülöpjakab

Fülöpjakab is located in the middle of Hungary, in Bács-Kiskun County, 110 km from Budapest. The closest towns are Kiskunfélegyháza (13 km) and Kecskemét (25 km). The number of inhabitants is 1140; 65% are living in small farms (homestead), which is called "Tanya".

The locality is populated for centuries since the murky ancient times, several findings of nomadic people were revealed by archaeologists. Hungarian king Béla IV. settled a people coming from Asia, the Kumans. The first known owner of the village was Jakab Buthemer, and the village was being named after him. The region was uninhabited under Turkish occupation from the middle of the 16th century. The farm system has started to develop since the end of the 18th century, which is unique in the world. Homesteads are special farms that combine the residence and the workplace.

From the second half of the 18th century, the land of the village was the bleak of Fülöpháza, then of Kiskunfélegyháza. At the end of the 1880s, the first school was established and the church was built in 1897. The continuously increasing population reached its maximum in 1949. In the same year the coming to power of communists broke the development. The organization of co-operative farms began according to the Soviet sample, the inhabitants were forced to leave the farms and move into the surrounding towns with administrative measures. Fülöpjakab was put under the public administration of the neighbouring village, Kunszállás.

Fülöpjakab reobtained its independence in 1989.

A continuous development has started since that time. Surgery, library, gas supply, telephone network have been built and nursery-, and primary school have been developed. The internet has been available for the residents of the village via telecommunication network since 2002.

An US and several German citizens have small cottages in the village. The twin village of Fülöpjakab is Csíkmindszent in Hargita county, Transsylvania, Romania.

Fülöpjakab is situated in a typical agricultural region. The small industrial enterprizes are subordinated to agriculture. The greenhouse horticulture is at high level in the region. The most famous products are the earliest red radish and the apricot. A mushroom producer mainly grows for German export, 1.6 t of mushroom is produced weekly. In animal husbandry the household farming pig-breeding is typical. Two plants of large-scale livestock-farming are operating in the village: the first one is a dairy-farm and the other is large-scale pig-farm.

As for the village, it is very important to harmonize the agricultural production to the challenges of the EU. The bio-agriculture is a great chance, which has been already made by a countrywide acknowledged developing bio-farm. Their products are sold in Hungary. The bio-farm is keenly looking for investors and business partners for further developments. The rural tourism is still an unexploited resource. There are amazing conditions: intact 40 oC thermal water within the administrative area of the community; and a clean, peaceful environment welcomes the visitors. It is a great advantage that the village is easily accessible from the M5 motorway, as well as Fülöpjakab is neighbouring Bugac, which is the tourist centre of the region. It is suggested to everyone interested in tourism industry to take this village into serious consideration.