Serbian horticulture is to revamp its system of registration for foreign fruit varieties.
After years of waiting for new varieties to be cleared for use, growers will have access to them after just one day.
A Serbian media report said the one-day registration procedure would allow a rapid introduction of high quality foreign varieties, while at the same time respecting breeder rights.
“As a result, it is expected that our assortment will be richer by about one hundred new high quality fruit and vine varieties by the spring planting season, while growers will be getting guidance on cultivation by region,” it said.
Serbian’s horticultural sector had for years been characterised by poor planting materials and obsolete varieties, which prompted its Ministry of Agriculture to prioritise the formation of a new law on fruit, vine and hops planting materials.
The report said: “This will have a great impact on fruit production in the country, because Chile approves up to 35 new raspberry varieties annually, while in our country only five were approved in the course of the last few years. For this reason, it seems that the Chilean varieties, despite their lower quality, are outdoing the Serbian ones on all foreign markets.”
