ABOUT US / A SHORT INSIGHT INTO HISTORY.

    The State Stende Plant Breeding station was founded in 1922 on the basis of Stende nationalized landed property. Jānis Lielmanis an agronomist and the founder of practical breeding in Latvia, was the first leader of the station and organizer of the research for more than 20 years.

   The State established Stende seed breeding and selection station with the aim to:

collect, investigate and improve the local field crop species;

 investigate recently developed field crop species and varieties and acclimatize them under Latvia conditions;

maintain state seed nursery for the farmers needs in Kurzeme region.

    Realization of these tasks was partly financed by the State as well as farm management: seed breeding, animal husbandry and other branches of agriculture. The plant breeding station during existence has experienced many changes as regards the territory and directions of activities. After the World War II, soviet collective farming system was developed in the state. The area managed by the plant breeding station was increased almost tenfold. The station became a diversified large-scale farm with priority branches seed breeding and breeding of pedigree animals.

     Significant changes were observed in 1997. In the country large-scale-farming system was reorganized and restitution of land to private owners began. According the regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Agriculture on the basis of the state enterprise "State Stende plant breeding and experimental station" there was established a non-profit organization state research enterprise "State Stende plant breeding station".