1. IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Albania Croatia Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Macedonia Serbia and Montenegro CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (Financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Law 84)

2. IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Data synthesis Expected length: 2 years Requested fund: € 2.051.500.00 Funding source: ITALY – Ministry of Foreign Affairs Implementing Agency: CIHEAM – IAMB Local counterparts: Ministries of Agriculture Beneficiaries: Agricultural extension services and single and/or associated private operators.

3. Overall objective development of the fruit and vegetable sector in 5 project countriesPurpose Training and strengthening of agricultural extension services for fruit and vegetable sector IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

4. OUTPUTS – MACEDONIA (1) At IAMBari 49 extension officers and technicians trained on updated horticulture technology and farm management items at IAM-Bari; 1 person participated in a special course on ICT; Cooperation for the elaboration of Guidelines for protocols for integrated production of 5 fruit and 5 vegetable crops IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

5. NCourse item MayJuneJulySept.Oct. 1 Organisation and management of the extension centres in horticulture 2 Extension officer activity with farmers producing vegetables & fruits 3 Integrated/organic production of vegetables in greenhouses 4 Nursery set-up in integrated/ organic production in horticulture 5 Integrated/organic production of fruits, olives and citrus crops 6 Integrated/organic production in viticulture 7 Irrigation techniques, soil problems, fertilizer use in integrated/organic horticulture 8 Integrated/organic production of vegetables in open field 9 Integrated/biological control of pests and diseases in horticulture 10 Post harvest techniques and processing of integrated/organic horticulture products

6. Examples of activities in Macedonia Training and workshop on Integrated production and farm management on the following topics i) vegetables in open field and in greenhouses ii) viticulture iii) fruit crops iv) nurseries IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

7. OUTPUTS – MACEDONIA (2) 320 local operators participated in 12 workshop/activities on sustainable production techniques in fruit and vegetable production; 32 farms have been visited by 60 persons; Established a Country Assistance Centre in Horticulture at the INSTITUTE of AGRICULTURE (University Campus, Skopje) A special website for horticulture has been set up www.zeminst.edu.mk Distribution of the Guidelines for protocols for integrated production of 5 fruit and 5 vegetable crops IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

8. OUTPUTS – MACEDONIA (3) - 1 vehicle delivered and currently in use; documents and equipment delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture, and to the Institute of Agriculture, e.g. –Publications of CIHEAM-IAMBari on agriculture –notebooks, PCs, etc. - advertising material produced at the special web page of the Institute of Agriculture, Skopje IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMING THROUGH THE DIFFUSION OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS