Presentation: The National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research, IP (INIAV) is Portugals State Laboratory, carrying out agronomic and veterinary research in the areas of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development. The responsibilities of INIAV, IP includes the following: • Develop the scientific and technological bases to support the definition of sectoral public policies; • Promote research, experimentation and demonstration activities, in line with the corresponding public policies; • Facilitate development, innovation and improved competitiveness in the areas of agroforestry, crop protection, food production, animal and plant health, food safety, food technologies and biotechnology ; • Ensure the functions of a National Reference Laboratory, namely in the areas of food safety, animal health and plant health; • Cooperate with both national and foreign scientific and technological institutions and networks to promote knowledge exchange within the above mentioned areas ; • Participate in the preparation of official control plans in the areas of animal health, plant health and food safety; and finally • Ensure that laboratory analyzes are carried out within the framework of official control plans coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Furthermore, INIAV holds the National Reference Laboratories for plant diseases, pests, animal diseases, zoonoses, analysis of residues of prohibited substances, veterinary medicines and environmental, chemical and microbiological contaminants in addition to other parameters within the scope of food safety of products of animal and vegetable origin and for animal feed. Tests are carried out in the permanent facilities of INIAV's laboratories in Oeiras, Lisbon, Vairão and Évora, thus ensuring coverage, at national level. The researchers and senior technicians at these National Reference Laboratories have experience in the areas of animal and plant health as well as food safety and are available to advise the Government and National Authorities on these matters whenever necessary. INIAV assumes a central role in the promotion and conservation of national genetic resources in the animal and plant areas, through the creation and maintenance of living collections and national germplasm banks. INIAV is affiliated to the three following collections/germplasm banks :
• Portuguese Animal Germplasm Bank (with DGAV), located in Santarém, ensures the collection and maintenance of Germplasm – namely semen, embryos, somatic cells and DNA – from all national breeds of domestic animals;
• Portuguese Plant Germplasm Bank (BPGV), located in Braga, hosts representative collections of germplasm from the most important agricultural resources in mainland Portugal and the islands;
• National reference collections: vines (national ampelographic collection - CAN), olive trees, fruit trees.
