National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research, IP (INIAV)

The National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research, IP (INIAV) is the State Laboratory, in the area of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, which carries out research activities in the agronomic and veterinary areas.

These are the responsibilities of INIAV, IP

• Develop the scientific and technological bases to support the definition of sectoral public policies;
• Promote research, experimentation and demonstration activities, in line with public policies defined for the respective sectors, which ensure technical and scientific support leading to development and innovation and improved competitiveness, in the areas of agroforestry, crop protection, food production, animal health and plant health, food safety, as well as in the area of food technologies and biotechnology with applications in these areas;
• Ensure the functions of a National Reference Laboratory, namely in the areas of food safety, animal health and plant health;
• Cooperate with similar scientific and technological institutions, national or foreign, and participate in science and technology activities, namely in consortia, networks and other forms of joint work, and promote the exchange and transmission of knowledge with public and private entities, national or international, namely through the signing of cooperation agreements and protocols, without prejudice to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' own powers;
• Participate in the preparation of official control plans in the areas of animal health, plant health and food safety;
• Ensure that laboratory analyzes are carried out within the framework of official control plans coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, in the areas of its competence, namely, through the networking of already existing accredited laboratories.

INIAV holds the National Reference Laboratories for plant diseases and pests, for animal diseases, including zoonoses, for analysis of residues of prohibited substances, veterinary medicines and environmental, chemical and microbiological contaminants and other parameters within the scope of food safety of products of animal and vegetable origin and for animal feed.

The tests are carried out in the permanent facilities of INIAV's laboratories in Oeiras, Lisbon, Vairão and Évora, thus ensuring coverage, at a national level, of aspects relating to food safety, animal health, plant health and the environment and natural resources that are legally owned by it. assigned. 

The researchers and senior technicians at these National Reference Laboratories have experience in the areas of animal health 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, with its custody:

• 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.