The 55th International Consultation on the Production and Processing of Oilseeds, a traditional meeting of oil producers, was held in Herceg Novi this year, on 16 to 20 June. The event was organised by the “Industrial Crops” business community, the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad and the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Technology.

EastAgri 2014, an annual conference organised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), was held in Belgrade on 18 and 19 June. The central topic of the conference – how to achieve quality and quantity in food production in Europe and Central Asia – brought together the highest-level officials of the Serbian Government, international institutions involved in the development of agriculture and agroindustry, and representatives of the agribusiness companies that operate in the region.

Šmekerica, a contest for pedigree and non-pedigree dogs of all breeds, sizes and colours, the selected winner of which will be the face of the Dog&Style dog food line, has visited four cities in Serbia to date. After Kragujevac, Novi Sad and Belgrade, the contest arrived in Niš where the pet competition for South Serbia was held at Niš Fortress, on the plateau behind the Mountaineer Home on 7 June.

The company Victoria Group has donated over 15.5 million Dinars so far in assistance for the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens and for repairing the damage caused by the recent floods in Serbia.

A presentation of the new range of mineral fertilisers for the 2014/2015 season from the company Victoria Logistic and the factory Fertil in Bačka Palanka was held at the 81st International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad on 22 May 2014.

The presentation covered three segments:

Iskon oil received the prestigious ’Superior Taste Award’ established by ITQI - International Taste and Quality Institute, as the leading European organization dedicated to testing and promoting superior food and drink from all over the world. The awarding of products follows Michelin’s quality standards, and winners of ’Superior Taste’ label can use it for a period of 3 years. Iskon is the only brand in the category of oils to receive this recognition.

Last night on the prestigious award ceremony of ’Best of Serbia’ competition, traditionally organized by the Ministry of  Foreign and Internal Commerce and Telecommunication, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the economic daily Privredni Pregled, Iskon oil won second year in a row gold statuette for the best brand in food category.

Current temperatures favour the growth and development of wheat. Precipitation in the previous period did not significantly improve soil moisture. The application of N fertilisers to wheat crop parcels has been finished. Wheat is currently in the stage of stem tillering and growth. The number of nodes differs depending on the sowing date, with crops mostly being in the stage of one to three nodes.

The Victoria Logistic Agroteam recommends that all farmers start sowing soybean, sunflower and corn immediately. The weather conditions in the next two weeks will be favourable, i.e. the temperature will not fall below 12 degrees Celsius, which favours the germination and sprouting of seeds. Particular attention should be paid to the sowing density, which depends on moisture and the presence of nitrogen in the soil.

Veterinary Institute Subotica has branded the entertaining and educational game “Lajavko”, which is available to users of phones with the Android operating system. One of the characters in “Lajavko” is ŠmeKer (“Charmer”), the trademarked face of Dog&Style dog food produced by the Institute, and the game, apart from providing entertainment, offers the opportunity to learn more about dogs and the various breeds.