Invitation to participate in the Course "Intensive Production of Vegetables and Fruits in Protected Areas and Post-Harvest Product Storage" - AgroNET

The course will be held from March 8th to 12th, 2022, in Niš.

AgroNET – Center for Education and Research, in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, has created a specialized course titled “Intensive Production of Vegetables and Fruits in Protected Areas and Post-Harvest Product Storage” in response to the expressed needs of producers and sellers. The course will take place from March 8th to 12th, 2022, in Niš at the New City Hotel (http://newcityhotelnis.com/).

The course is designed for participants engaged in commercial production, storage, and sales of vegetables and fruits.

Through interactive lectures, exercises, practical examples, organized visits to facilities for protected cultivation and post-harvest storage, participants will acquire contemporary knowledge and innovative approaches on the following topics:

Advantages and effects of different types of protected areas (tunnels, greenhouses, glasshouses, hail protection systems) and microclimate regulation within them.
Characteristics of covering materials, irrigation and fertigation systems.
Cultivation techniques for fruit species (strawberries and blueberries).
Cultivation techniques for vegetable crops (seedlings, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, leafy vegetables).
Equipment and materials systems for soilless vegetable cultivation.
Challenges and efficiency of integrated pest management in protected cultivation.
Monitoring of nutrition and irrigation in protected cultivation.
Fundamentals of organic production.
Post-harvest preservation of fresh vegetables and fruits through practical examples.
Quality management during storage.
Logistics and transportation, including case studies.
Trends in food consumption and sales.
Opportunities and sources of financing and sales in regional and European markets, as well as the USA.

The challenges of climate change are an essential topic, and the lectures will highlight the challenges posed by climate change and the modern solutions applied in production and product storage to mitigate its negative effects.

During the course, participants will have the opportunity to present their companies and engage in networking and roundtable discussions to exchange opinions and experiences with each other and the lecturers.

The Forum, which concludes the course, will summarize all the activities and also take a step forward by allowing participants to propose improvements in fruit and vegetable production and trade. In addition to course participants and lecturers, the Forum will include representatives from agricultural ministries in Serbia, chambers of commerce from Serbia and the region, representatives from USAID in Serbia and the region, major fruit and vegetable producers, companies involved in equipment distribution in the fruit and vegetable sector, and representatives from fruit and vegetable export companies. We expect the Forum to adopt conclusions and recommendations for the chambers of commerce and agricultural ministries in Serbia and the region.

This course represents an innovation in knowledge transfer in Serbia and the region, enabling participants to directly apply the knowledge gained in their businesses. The lecturers are professors from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Agriculture, as well as successful entrepreneurs with extensive practical experience.

A certificate of participation in the course will be jointly issued by AgroNET and the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade.

Thanks to the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Project, which developed the course program based on research into your needs, the course has a subsidized price for participants.

The registration fee for the entire course is 16,800.00 dinars and includes course materials, organized transportation to selected facilities, participation in the Forum, and meals (lunch, coffee breaks, gala dinner, cocktail). Participants are responsible for covering their own travel expenses, accommodation, and personal expenses during the course (Option 1).

Participants who are interested only in the part of the course related to intensive production of vegetables and fruits in protected areas can choose to pay the fee for the first three days of the course (March 8th – 10th) in the amount of 10,900.00 dinars. This fee includes course materials, organized transportation to selected facilities, and meals (lunch, coffee breaks, gala dinner). Participants are responsible for covering their own travel, accommodation, and personal expenses during that period – option 2.

Participants who are interested only in the part of the course related to modern technologies for preserving vegetables and fruits after harvest can choose to pay the fee for the two days of the course (the fourth and fifth day – March 11th – 12th) in the amount of 7,900.00 dinars. This fee includes course materials, participation in the forum, and meals (lunch, coffee breaks, cocktail). Participants are responsible for covering their own travel, accommodation, and personal expenses during that period – option 3.

For course participants who wish to be accommodated at the NEW CITY NIŠ hotel, a preferential accommodation rate is provided. When making a reservation, it is necessary to indicate that you are a participant of the course organized by AgroNET.

The number of participants is limited to 35. Priority in registration and a guaranteed spot in the course will be given to participants who apply first and pay the necessary fee.

To apply, send an email to agronetbeograd@gmail.com with the following information: name and surname, company, position in the company, email address, phone number, note indicating the option you are applying for. Alternatively, you can fill out the application by clicking on the link provided.

The fee (registration fee) should be paid to: AgroNET – Center for Education and Research, Belgrade – Zemun, Nemanjina 6, VAT: 111121580, account: 160-0000000534461-06 – Banca Intesa.

The deadline for registration (fee payment) is March 4th, 2022.

For more information, contact us via email: agronetbeograd@gmail.com or phone: +381 63 106 4065.

We look forward to your attendance!