PRESENT STATE AND POSSIBILITIES OF MAIZE HYBRIDS SEED PRODUCTION WITH THE REVIEW ON THE EXPORT

The present seed production of maize in the Republic of Croatia is reduced in relation to the period before the Patriotic War. Production of maize seed in Croatia was between 14,000 and 21,000 tons yearly in the period from 1981 to 1986. It was reduced to 8000 tons yearly in the period from 1989 to 2001. Today, Croatia has 13 processing centres with the capacity approximately 50,000 tons of seed, but utilisation of these capacities is about 40%. Decreasing of maize seed production is caused by market reduction (less areas under the maize in Croatia) and reduced export of maize hybrids seed. Before the Patriotic War, Croatia participated in the total seeds export of former Yugoslavia with 35-40%. The largest export of maize seed was 1983, with the approximately 10,700 tons. Seed export of Bc, Os and KWS hybrids was the Eastern European market, while the seed of Pioneer, SES and part of KWS hybrids was exported on the Western European market. Nowadays, production of maize hybrids at Croatia is about 5000 ha (in the world on about 1 mil. ha) with the seed export of 3500 tons, approximately. Today, the largest amount of maize seed is exported in Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey. The total value of maize seed production is 20 mil. Euro, approximately. Seed export should be the basic strategic aim in the program of seed production development because areas occupied with mercantile maize (approximately 400,000 ha) cannot completely employ capacities for the production of seed