Backi Petrovac

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman Srboljub Zivanovic, and attended by the Director of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Prof. Dr Borislav Kobiljski and associates and State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Science Prof. Dr Radivoje Mitrovic.

Director of the Institute Prof. Dr Kobiljski outlined the organisational structure and work of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, established in 1938. He stressed that the Institute strives to connect basic research with applied research, the market and agricultural producers. He particularly focused on the Biotechnology Department which applies the best biotechnology methods for plant breeding. Prof. Dr Kobiljski stated that the Institute is a big international exporter of seed.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Science Prof. Dr Radivoje Mitrovic declared the work of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops an example of good practice in Serbia.

The Committee members went on talk to the Institute and Ministry representatives about the position of the Institute on the Serbian market, product placement on foreign markets, as well as valorization of the work of the scientists at the Institute and the need to establish better a connection between science and education by enabling the Institute’s researchers to teach doctoral studies. They also discussed the commercial aspect of the work of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, as well as the need to keep agronomists and producers better inform on the Institute’s results and achievements relating to plant breeding.

The Committee members also visited the Maize Department in Rimski Sancevi, as well as the Small Grains Department where they learned about their work, and they also visited the Institute's Storage and Distribution Centre in Rimski Sancevi.