During a visit of association PeaceBread (FriedensBrot e.V.) representatives, Ms Segita JUCIUVIENE, Head of the Plant Variety Division of The State Plant Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ms Elvyra LEONAVIČIENE, Head of Kaunas Plant Varieties Testing Division, reported that everything is prepared for seeding the PeaceBread rye from Berlin in about two weeks time on the fields of the Kaunas Plant Varieties Testing Division in the proximity of the museum of the historic Fort IX. Next to the seeds of the variety ‘Borellus’, which were obtained from Berlin, Lithuanian colleagues will seed the Lithuanian variety ‘Virgiai’ that was bred in 2010. Samples of the harvest of both plots will then be sent to Berlin for the symbolic PeaceBread in 2014.
During a subsequent meeting in Vilnius, additionally attended by Mr Dr. Arvydas BASILIUS, Vice-Director of The State Plant Service, Mr Jokubas DRAZDAS, Chief Specialist of Economics and International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania as well as Dr. Irena KEMEZIENE, Deputy Head of the Plant Variety Division of The State Plant Service, colleagues from Lithuania reported on the present situation of agriculture in Lithuania, the tasks of The State Plant Service and the excitement about the Lithuanian EU Council Presidency as well as the challenges related to this.
The presentations of the Lithuanian colleagues can be found here:
Dr. Gibfried SCHENK informed about the present state of the PeaceBread project. Colleagues from Lithuania were particularly interested in the planning of the conference and the ceremonial act “Peace and Agriculture” in Berlin on 30 September and 1 October 2014.
Meeting with Ms Elvyra Leonaviciene in Kaunas Plant Varieties Testing Division
The day was concluded with a guided tour of the museum of Fort IX in Kaunas
Fort IX is an impressive site and exhibition on the shattering hardship of war, suffering and repression during the last 100 years.
Some impressions from the Fort can be found on the attached photographs, the report on the escape of 64 Jewish prisoners on Christmas Day 1943 causing particular consternation.
