Seed Bank of Zlatibor District Founded

In order to preserve indigenous plant and animal species, the Seed Bank of the Zlatibor District has been founded. Through it, organic producers will get the seeds they need more easily.

– If the seed is not good, we can't hope for good results – Nenad Sunajko of Uzice says for TV Prva. His seed “library” features various plant cultures: 30 varieties of tomatoes, spices and flowers.

– The seed bank is there when, for whatever reason, we lack a certain variety that year – Sunajko explains.

Organic seeds, unlike industrial ones, can be used the next year as well, so an exchange can always be carried out.

– We exchange the surplus we don't need for what we need. We find similar people online – I'm a member of a group with 18,000 members from the whole Balkans area – Sunajko says.

The bank was founded by the “Organic Village” (“Organsko selo”) association from Uzice and so far, planting activities have been carried out and a database has been established.

– Those who have no seeds can get them here to help them start out. They are counted by piece, not per kilogram. If someone gets 10 pieces of one seed variety, they then need to return 15, so that other people could be included in the next phase – explains the president of the Organic Village association, Borko Pavic.

Some of the oldest animal breeds in the Zlatibor District are the Busa cattle, the domestic mountain horse, Pramenka sheep and Sjenica sheep, which was the most in danger of extinction until recently.

– Each local self-government should map the breeds which are endangered in that territory – claims Ivan Gujanicic of Eko-agrar in the Municipality of Cajetina.

Zlatiborski Eko Agrar d.o.o. Čajetina

Organic Village association Užice

Organsko selo association

Eko agrar Municipality of Čajetina

seed bank

seed

seeds

Nenad Sunajko

Borko Pavić

Ivan Gujaničić