The management of Litagra Group, in view of bringing the holders of private capital and the representatives of the research area to a closer cooperation, took the lead and in March 2003 established a public establishment “Žemės ūkio mokslo vystymo fondas“ (Foundation for the Development of Agricultural Sciences). The Foundation was created for the purpose of providing support to significant research projects undertaken in Lithuania.  

Right from the day when the Foundation was first founded, the Company pursues the policy of independent support whereby it does not take into account, whether the production involved in the research activities represents a respective company or any of its competitors, and does not restrict the researchers in terms of any predetermined topics of research, hence encouraging the researchers’ initiative and paying due regard to their scientific interests.

The applications are selected considering the following:

• The significance and relevance of the intended or ongoing research to the Lithuanian agriculture;
• The expected results and their further application;
• The innovative aspect of the idea;
• The qualifications and expertise of the scientists who will be involved in the research activities;
• The dissemination of the expected results – the criterion whereby the applicants are required to undertake the commitment to ensure that the outcomes of their future research are made public and become accessible to any practicing agriculturist of Lithuania thus avoiding their settling on the shelves of libraries or use exceptionally by the academic audience in the form of conference reports or scientific publications.

In the implementation of the Programme on the Formation and Management of Field Crops Yield and Quality Potential, a very active role is undertaken by The Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture (LIA) which is responsible for the selection of applications pursuant to the provisions of the tender as well as for the administration and coordination of research activities, evaluation of research outcomes and making proposals for a follow-up research.

Over the four years of operation, the Foundation has extended its support to over twenty projects already, and the results of research activities performed in 2003–2004 have been issued under a special publication providing a useful tool both to the scientists, Company employees and the customers – the farmers and agricultural companies. The outcomes of research activities are also disseminated during various academic events, including seminars and conferences intended for the scientists, during the seminars and  conferences arranged by LIA as well as through the information reports presented to UAB “Litagros chemija” employees during training, through the articles in the academic publications, the Lithuanian popular press (the magazine “Mano ūkis“, the newspaper “Ūkininko patarėjas“, etc.) and publications issued abroad.