Present experiences and challenges in inspections activities in Serbia

Abstract

During 2016, after 3 years, activities which were focused on establishing a system for control testing of sprayer and air assisted sprayers on the territory of the Republic of Serbia the whole system was established on a 31 station for control testing of PAE and 2 bodies who are responsible for control and system organization. Thanks to the activities carried out through the IPA Twinning Project SR12 / IB / AG / 01 in December 2014, the equipment supplied to all stations by its basic activity of agricultural schools, agricultural extension services, professional high schools, agricultural institutes. Stations are equipped with all necessary equipment. The equipment is at each station entrusted to graduate agricultural engineer who have full-time job and they were trained in two basic courses. Plan was that during 2017. Serbia get new “Law of plant protection products”, which include parts of mandatory control testing PAE but we still in anticipation of this new legislation. During these anticipations, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad organized many workshops with agricultural producers. Aim of this workshops is to introduce agricultural producers with important and benefit of sprayer inspection and calibration. These workshops were supported by Vojvodina’s government. Also many of established station start with training of agricultural producers in their area with support of municipality or other state local body. Agricultural producers make good response on this activity, so experts from Faculty of Agriculture Novi Sad, provide also to agricultural producers training in their “Education Developmental Center for Pesticide Application Equipment” (ERTAP). We call it “ERTAP open days”. So, during season of spraying they can call us or visit our Center and we help them to be more effective and environmental friendly in pesticide application. Still, the biggest problem is that we do not have new legislation. Like two years ago, also now for implantation of control testing in Serbia we needed an urgent adoption of a new law as well as supporting acts, with emphasis Rules on control testing, in order to implement the system in practice.