LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), December 22 (SeeNews) – Slovenia’s sovereign holding company, SDH, has signed an agreement to purchase the Ptuj selection and testing centre from seed producer and distributor Semenarna Ljubljana, the government said.
SDH will acquire the centre through the special purpose vehicle Center za Avtohtone Sorte Semen, established on December 14, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
The special purpose vehicle will then transfer the ownership of the centre to the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, which has been determined to be the most appropriate manager of seed production and conservation of plant genetic resources, the government said.
“It is important to preserve as much as possible the autochthonous plant genetic material in the long run, both through enhanced seed production and conservation of plant genetic resources, and by maintaining local varieties,” agriculture minister Joze Podgorsek said in the statement.
Earlier this week, SDH said it will prepare the transfer of the centre’s assets to the Slovenian government, expected in May or June 2022.
Serbian wholesaler of pesticides, seeds and garden appliances Agromarket acquired Semenarna Ljubljana from local lender Dezelna Banka in February 2020. The acquisition agreement envisaged the possibility of transferring the ownership of the Ptuj centre to the Slovenian state given its importance for the country’s agriculture.
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