The Agricultural Institute Osijek has more than 130 years of service to science, the profession and the progress of agricultural production. Thanks to scientific and tehnical activities of its employees the Institute has gaind reputation and recognition at home and abrode.

The common goal of all activities of the Institute has alway been the development and improvement of agricultural production based on knowledge, tradition and experience. Therefore, we believe that the Institute should be preserved and developed as a single independent institution with all its fundamental activities (scientific research, breeding and seed trade, fruit growing and seedlings, marketing and commercial activity) owned by The Republic of Croatia and Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

Bearing in mind the scientific and tehnical potential employees, the curent level of scientific research, improving the working conditions of scientists at the Institute as well as unique functional organizational system of public scientific research institutions in The Republic of Croatia it is realistic to expect even better results.

 

l. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

SHORT TERM PLAN OF ACTIVITIES

1.   Continuation of work on programs and projects  co-financed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

2.   Inclusion in the new science and technology projects in the country and abroad and in this way strengthening the scientific position of the Institute on the national and international level.

3.   Encouraging contemporary scientific work allowing the acquisition of scientific professions and specialization of scientific and research staff of the Institute in the areas relevant to the core activities of the Institute.

4.   Results of the work and researches make available to the public through the publication and presentation of scientific papers in national and international journals and at scientific and professional conferences.

5.  Support the possibility of limited fundamental researches important for understanding the function of ion (content of all minerals, essential and non-essential elements in the body) as well as physiological processes of functioning of plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors at the molecular and cellular level.

6.  The introduction of new and improvement of existing physical – chemical, biochemical and physiological laboratory method in a function of breeding and scientific research.

7.  Strengthening the scientific work and researches in the field of fruit growing, seedlings, laboratory procedures and analysis, as well as land amelioration and agricultural techniques.

8.  Developing the infrastructure of the Institute, which has to be rational, productive and functional development of scientific, research and creative work (amendment and renewal of laboratory equipment in the existing laboratories of the Institute, acquisition of new and modern laboratory equipment, procurement of cold chambers and cold storage for the deposit of original seeds and planting materials, greenhouse for plant breeding, developing projects and irrigation systems).

LONG TERM PLAN OF ACTIVITIES

1.  Continuous scientific work on the creation of new cultivars that have broad application in agricultural production in the Republic of Croatia and abroad (wheat, barley, corn, soybean, sunflower, alfalfa, red clover and field peas).

2.  Continuous monitoring and, if necessary inclusion in the technological process of creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and seeds (in order to maintain competitiveness in relation to the foreign companies if is permitted by Croatian laws).

3.  Strengthening breeding teams by hiring research assistants and their focus on doctoral studies in genetics, plant breeding and seed trade because this profile of doctoral studies proved most successful theoretical preparation for breeders and seedsman for a long process of creation and application of new cultivars.

 

II. IN THE FEELD OF PLANT BREEDING

SHORT TERM PLAN OF ACTIVITIES

1.   Continued work on programs and projects of creating new varieties and hybrids of all kinds of agricultural products on which the Institute has worked so far. Commercially successful programs will have an advantage because they are the most important prerequisite for the existence of the Institute in this economic and financial crisis.

2.   The use of molecular markers in combinated breeding on phenotypic level to accelerate and improve the classical approach of creating new cultivars.

3.    In addition to classical methods and procedures in plant breeding, introduction the other methods and procedures to accelerate the breeding process (use of winter generation, methods of double haploid lines, seed production on the basis of cytoplasmic male sterile etc.).

4.    Maintain existing and establish new relationships and cooperation with similar scientific institutions in the world.

LONG TERM PLAN OF ACTIVITIES

1.    Registration of new scientific programs and projects, and international collaborative programs.

2.    Opening of new programs within the Institute that will modernize the methods of research and allow the survival of the Institute in the competition of knowledge and creativity.

3.   Constant improvement of working conditions of scientists through the modernization of scientific equipment and facilities, scientific training in the country and abroad (training, participation in conferences, seminars, etc.).

4.   Continue to support collaboration with universities and research institutions in the country and abroad and inclusion of scientific and research stuff in the process of teaching in graduate and postgraduate studies in the field of biotechnology.

5.   Strengthening personnel structure, in particular recruitment of quality young researchers.

6.   Introduction of the modern scientific methods of laboratory procedures and analysis in the process of scientific and research work.

 

III. IN THE FIELD OF PRODUCTION AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

Results of scientific and research work of the Institute are used in the extensive agricultural production. Besides work on the creation of new cultivars, the Institute produces and sells a sufficient amount of quality seeds and fruit seedlings in Croatia and abroad.

In order to preserve the stability of the financial transactions of the Institute in terms of reduced overall liquidity in the domestic market, commercial activities are focused on:

1.    retention of the existing position of market shares and sowing areas of culture such as soybeans (about 65% market share in Croatia), barley (90% market share in Croatia), wheat (60% market share in Croatia),

2.   increasing sales of hybrid maize seed in the domestic market by 30 to 40% compared to the current situation,

3.   developing seeds of alfalfa, peas and red clover with the aim of completing the pallet of Osijek cultivars in the case of higher demand in the domestic and foreign markets,

4.   ensuring quality seed production of hybrids and sunflower inbred lines for domestic and foreign markets,

5.   increasing production of fruit seedlings for 10 to 15 times compared to the previous year and establishing new plantations of parent trees, increasing sales of seedlings of fruit trees and propagating material (substrate and buds) and substantiation of license rights to certain fruit varieties.

Under conditions of strong competition of foreign companies in the Republic of Croatia the domestic market has become too small to meet the development of business plans of the Institute. Therefore, for a long time activities of the Institute are focused on expanding our cultivars to overseas markets, through production in the Republic of Croatia to the needs of foreign markets and the consolidation of the cycle of production and sales of our seeds abroad.

The Institute has developed a successful business cooperation with foreign partners from EU countries (Hungary, Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia), the countries of the region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia), Russia and Middle Eastern countries (Turkey, Iran).

Long-term development plans of the Institute on the international market are:

1.   organizing permanent and stable cooperation with Turkish and other Middle Eastern partners because it is expected further increase of demand for Osijek cultivar seeds on the foreign market,

2.   inclusion and expansion of high quality varieties of barley and wheat in production and export orientation to markets of Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries for achieved excellent long term results and qualitative indicators,

3.   securing sufficient quantities of quality Osijek alfalfa cultivar seeds for foreign markets (Macedonia, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia),

4.   further development of cooperation with foreign partners for the production and placement of soybean cultivars, sunflower, peas and red clover.

 

IV. ACTIVITIES AIMED AT EQUIPPING

AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATION OF THE INSTITUT

1.    Cost reduction of Institute businesses by introduction of new equipment in the work processes, increased labor discipline, rewards to performance and introduction of the austerity measures and regionalization of operations of all levels.

2.    Dedicated income routing of the Institute realized from the other sources (sales of undeveloped building land) in the procurement of the necessary equipment which directly affects financial results of the Institute.

3.   Realization of the adopted investment and procurement plan to ensure continuous improvement of equipment for scientific research, professional and productive work on the Institute.

4.   Termination and commissioning of the new modern seed processing and drier seed corn.

5.  Strengthening of human resources at departments of the Institute, which deals with the organization, production and sale of seeds and fruit seedlings.

6.   Arrangement, expansion and increase of storage, retail and wholesale space in order to increase sales of seeds and fruit seedlings.

7.   Creating a new job classification and Rules of Procedure with an emphasis on improved labor discipline by the results of the work and performance at work.

8.   Improvement of marketing and commercial activities through the media and if necessary, establishment of marketing and commercial sales departments.

9.   Improvement of cooperation with family farms, agricultural enterprises and food industry (bread-making, oil factory and animal feed factory, brewing industry and other similar industries) to insure a direct impact on the development of the Croatian economy.

10. Traditionally maintaining cooperation between the Institute and the Agricultural Advisory Service of the Republic of Croatia and providing technical assistance to family farms through lectures and education.

11. Intensification of activities in connection with arranging cadastral and ownership status of land for granting agricultural land in lease.

12. Continuous and permanent concern for ensuring the stability of the financial operations of the Institute, material security and standards of workers through thoughtful cost reduction in order to achieve higher profits and security operations in the future.