Fruit growing in Serbia got a boost! At the Congress of fruit growers and winegrowers held in Vršac, 108 scientific papers were presented, and 200 participants took part, of which 30 came from abroad. An important part of the event was the introductory lecture given by Dr. Francois Loren, president of the International Horticultural Society (ISHS). The Congress was organized by the Scientific Fruit Growing Society from Čačak and the Faculty of Agriculture from Belgrade.
The general conclusion of this congress was that, despite the crisis, fruit growing still represents a significant source of income and plays a key role in the economy of Serbia. During the congress, it was emphasized that climate changes have a strong impact on fruit growing, and certain measures were proposed to mitigate the negative consequences of those changes. One of the important proposals was the continuation and stricter application of rezoning in fruit growing, in order to optimize fruit production based on geographical and climatic conditions.
A problem arose related to the discrepancy in official data on areas under fruit and produced quantities. That is why it is proposed to carry out a detailed inspection. The mismatch of data creates a wrong picture of the real situation in fruit growing and opens up opportunities for abuse, especially when it comes to the payment of subsidies. Also, it is necessary to conduct an inventory of the real production potential in Serbia. The age of plantations, production capacity and assortment of fruit species grown are taken into account.
The Institute of Fruit Growing “produced” a new president
At the Assembly of the Scientific Fruit Society, which gathers experts from Serbia and the former Yugoslav republics, a report on the work of this organization was presented. Since its establishment in 1966, the Society has been headquartered in the Institute of Fruit Growing in Čačak. One of the significant activities of the Society was the launch of the scientific and professional journal “Journal of Yugoslav Pomology” in 1967.
At the assembly, the new president of the Society, Dr. Aleksandar Leposavić from the Institute of Fruit Growing, was elected. Dr. Leposavić took over from the current president, Professor Dejan Đurović, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade. The new president presented the plan of future activities of the Society. That plan includes increasing the number of members, with a special focus on young professionals. Dr. Leposavić also highlighted the plan for improving the role of science and profession in the development of fruit growing technology in Serbia.
The Congress pointed to the need to strengthen cooperation between science and practice. In this way, fruit growing would develop in a sustainable way and at the same time ensure the long-term competitiveness of fruit production on the domestic and foreign markets.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
