Poljoprivredni institut Osijek

CEREMONY OF OPENING BREEDING STATION IN REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

CEREMONY OF OPENING

"BREEDING STATION"

IN REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

Agricultural Institute Osijek developed great business relations with turkish state firm Tareks from Ankara on programs of seed production of OS cultivars- maize, wheat, barley, sunflower, soybean and alfalfa. This seed production led us to 4^thplace in trukish total represantation of OS cultivars, and 7-8% of all large and demanding market of Republic of Turkey, with tendency of steady growth in the future.

Under such great business relations, scientific cooperation, and most of all mutual trust, firm Tareks invested a lot into buying a land, building (constructing) and furnishing of "Breeding station", which opened on May, 18^th 2009, in Republic of Turkey, placed in Altinova, Dalyan, South of Sezerler Farm (Ayvalik/Balikesir).

Spacing on 2,2 ha, there is a business building prefabricated type with work space and offices for breeders, enabling Agricultural Institute Osijek - it´s scientists, mostly plant breeders, with assistance of turkish experts, to create new cultivars (varieties i hybrids) of maize, sunflower, wheat, barley, soybean and alfalfa suitable for growing in Asia, and mostly tending towords climate conditions of Republic of Turkey and countries of Middle East region (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijani and etc.).

Ceremony of opening breeding station, was attended by delegation from Osijek:

Prof. Mate Bilić, Ph.D., President of the Managing Board of Agricultural Institute Osijek (Professor and Vice-dean for science on Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek)

Prof. Marija Ivezić, Ph.D., Member of the Managing Board of Agricultural Institute Osijek (Professor on Agricultural Faculty Osijek, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek)

Draženka Gutzmirtl, Ph.D., Member of the Managing Board of Agricultural Institute Osijek (Head of regional office Os.-Bar. district Croatian Agricultural Extension Institute)

Josip Kovačević, Ph.D., Director of Agricultural Institute Osijek

Ivan Brkić, Ph.D., Head of the Department for Breeding and Genetics of Maize, Member of the Managing Board of Agricultural Institute Osijek

Krunoslav Dugalić, B.Sc., Head of the Department for Fruit-Growing, Member of the Managing Board of Agricultural Institute Osijek

Alojzije Lalić, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Science, barley breeder

Zvonimir Zdunić, Ph.D., Assistant Director for International Trade, maize breeder

Georg Drezner, Ph.D., Head of the Department for Breeding and Genetics of Small Cereal Crops, wheat breeder

Svetislav Popović, Ph.D., Head of the Department for for Breeding and Genetics of Forage Crops

Josip Šimenić, M.Sc., Head of the Department for Seed Production & Processing

Apart from above mentioned, present were also high positioned croatian officials (diplomatic-consular) in Turkey: Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia in the Republic of Turkey, Gordan Bakota, B.Sc., and Vice-Consul Krešo Glavač; and once again confirmed imortance of such foreign cooperation that is of strategic interest for exporting croatian knowledge (know-how) and croatian products. Ambassador Bakota, informed President of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesić about Agricultural Institute Osijek, it´s work, opening the Breeding station and cooperation with Republic of Turkey.

Many turkish guests, over 100 of them, were invited by a host firms TARIM KREDI KOOPERATIFLERI i TAREKS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IMPORT, by their leadership :

President of Tarim Kredi – Mr. Ilhami TEKE

Vice Presidents of Tarim Kredi - Mr. Bedrettin YILDIRIM, Mr. Oktay MALYEMEZ

General Director of Tareks - Mr. Burhanettin TOPSAKAL and associates

Deputy General Manager of Tareks - Mr. Nevzat ARAS, and many others.

The program of ceremony started with protocol talks, full with words of compliments for both sides, followed by folkloric show and occasional lunch for guests.

Turkish partner proved to be a great host, managing Station opening on a very ceremonial way, all the time giving honor to Institut and it´s scientists, placing national flag of Republic of Turkey next to national flag of Republic of Croatia as a symbol of partnership and good cooperation.

Pictures from the Celebration