Projects

The project explores and demonstrates the possibilities for adapting agriculture to growing climate challenges. Its vision is to build capacity for sustainable and more resilient agriculture by applying innovative digital, agrotechnical and biological solutions.

The project includes testing new practices directly in the field on different crops, using smart devices such as sensors, agrometeorological stations and drones, and applying natural and environmentally friendly methods to improve soil properties and conserve moisture.

The project's adaptive measures and research fields were presented at the Faculty's experimental field in Dolno Lisiche, and secondary school students from Kumanovo and Skopje also took part in the training on smart agriculture.

In recent years there has been great interest in the functional properties of fruit and vegetables and in their contribution to human health. Fruit and vegetables are a source of many beneficial nutrients, among which polyphenols hold an important place. Polyphenols are organic compounds naturally present in plant foods.

They are antioxidants: they bind the free radicals that damage cells and increase the risk of various diseases.

Eating food rich in polyphenols is very important, as it helps to prevent a range of diseases. Researchers and food processors are increasingly interested in identifying and determining polyphenols in fresh and processed food.

The Faculty is one of the 19 partners in the project. DIVAGRI is an action research project that aims to raise farmers' productivity by introducing seven new technologies in agricultural production, to improve cooperation between producers and industry and to protect the environment.

One of the new technologies is the SLECI micro-irrigation system (self-regulating, low energy, clay-based irrigation). The results were presented at the IV International Symposium for Agriculture and Food (ISAF 2022) in Ohrid, to farmers' associations and federations, and to students at the Faculty's Career Days.

Students mentored by Prof. Dr Vjekoslav Tanaskovikj presented the project at the EIT Food Awareness Event & Challenge Labs 2025, held from 28 to 30 October in Skopje.

The Faculty is a partner in the project and hosted the fourth transnational meeting, held on 16 October 2023.

The project is co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of the participating countries. The Faculty is the implementing partner, in cooperation with the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Development – APRZ.

The project produced the analysis “Employment opportunities in the agricultural sector – the situation and recommendations for primary producers, the agribusiness sector and young people in the Pelagonia region”.

The project, implemented by the Faculty, aims to improve the development and planning of agricultural and rural development policies in the Republic of North Macedonia and to contribute to better policy making for the long-term empowerment of women in agriculture.

The project identified three key outcomes: evidence-based data for representatives of government institutions and policy makers, so that gender-responsive measures and budgets are integrated into the national programmes for agriculture and rural development; capacity building of institutions and policy makers to include gender aspects in agricultural policies and programmes; and the empowerment of women in agriculture and rural areas to access and use support measures.

The policy brief was written by Prof. Dr Marina Nacka, Prof. Dr Andreas Drichoutis (Agricultural University of Athens), Prof. Dr Rodolfo M. Nayga (Texas A&M University), Prof. Dr Dragi Dimitrievski and Prof. Dr Ivana Janeska-Stamenkovska; the results were presented at the final event on 14 June 2023.