Born on October 18, 1946 in Mecsekszabolcs in Baranya County. He graduated from the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Agricultural Polytechnics of Körmend in 1968. Between 1968 and1975 he worked at the "Béke" Agricultural Cooperative in Szabadszentkirály, firstly as a trainee, subsequently as floor manager and finally as chief engineer. Since 1996 he has been a member of the board of the South-Transdanubian Wheat Company Ltd. (Dél-dunántúli Gabona Rt.) and since 1997 member of the board of IKR Bábolna.  

In October 1989 he was one of the founders of MSZP (Hungarian Socialist Party). From 1990 to 1993 he was president of the Szigetvár chapter of MSZP and between 1992 and 1994 member of the national board of the party. Between 1995 and 1998 he was the president of the county board of the Hungarian Socialist Party. From 1999 he has been president of the Party of the Szigetvár region.  

From 1994 through 2006 he represented Szigetvár (Baranya County constituency no. 7) in Parliament, as an individual member. Between 1994 and 2002 he sat in the representative councils of the municipalities of Szigetvári and Baranya County. Since 2005 he has been the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.  

He is married with three children.