Queen Rearing at the Heart of the Event
The importance of queen rearing for the future of Greek beekeeping and the sector’s development prospects were at the heart of the event “Prospects for Beekeeping Development”, organised by the Region of Central Greece and New Agriculture New Generation in Livadeia, as part of the programme “Queen Rearing in Central Greece – Utilisation, Preservation and Improvement of Honey Bee Genetic Material.”
The event was hosted at the Multipurpose Hall of the Regional Unit of Boeotia and brought together approximately 50 beekeepers, representatives of public and private organisations, and officials from the Region of Central Greece, confirming the strong interest of the local beekeeping community in improving production and promoting the sustainable development of the sector.
Opening Remarks
Katerina Kalatzi, Vice Governor for Mountainous and Forest Policy of the Region of Central Greece and the Region’s Programme Coordinator, highlighted the Region’s ongoing commitment to providing practical support to local beekeepers, recognising the significant contribution of beekeeping to the local economy, the environment and rural development.
Anastasios Stefanopoulos, CSR Assistant at APIVITA, also delivered welcoming remarks, referring to the importance of the Billion Bees Program and its contribution to protecting and strengthening bee populations.
On behalf of New Agriculture New Generation, Dimitris Voloudakis, Programmes General Director, highlighted the importance of knowledge transfer and networking among producers, emphasising the organisation’s role in strengthening Greece’s agrifood communities.
Welcoming remarks were also delivered by Kostas Apostolopoulos, Vice Governor for Agricultural Economy, Livestock and Fisheries of the Region of Central Greece; Giorgos Dasiotis, Vice Governor of the Regional Unit of Boeotia; and Fani Papathoma, Vice Governor for Tourism and Culture of the Region of Central Greece. The event was moderated by Sotiris Katselos, Communications Director of New Agriculture New Generation.
Presentations and Programme Results
Alexandros Gkousiaris, professional beekeeper, beekeeping trainer and initiator of the programme, presented the importance of selecting and improving bee genetic material, highlighting the crucial role that queen rearing plays in the productivity and resilience of honey bee colonies.
George Gkoras, Assistant Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens and Scientific Coordinator of the programme, then reviewed the programme’s progress from its launch to the present day, presenting its key achievements. He also referred to the accumulated experience gained through similar queen rearing initiatives implemented in previous years in collaboration with New Agriculture New Generation. Special reference was made to the team of nine queen breeders who actively participated in the implementation of the programme, carrying out a total of 250 queen cell grafts across Central Greece.
Kalliopi Karampoiki, Capacity Building Senior Manager at New Agriculture New Generation, presented the programme’s results and the findings of its evaluation. As she noted, participant satisfaction with the training phase reached 97%, while beekeepers identified the ability to apply queen rearing techniques to their own apiaries, as well as the improvement of their colonies’ genetic material, as the programme’s most significant benefits.
The programme also featured a presentation by Fotis Tekos, CEO of FoodOxys and a spin-off company of the University of Thessaly, who analysed the connection between honey and well-being, highlighting the importance of scientific validation in demonstrating the added value and competitive advantage of Greek honey in today’s markets.
Funding Opportunities and Future Prospects for the Sector
The event concluded with a presentation by Nikos Floros from the Directorate of Agricultural and Fisheries Policy of the Region of Central Greece, who presented the available funding instruments and support opportunities that beekeepers can utilise to develop and modernise their businesses.
The session attracted significant interest from participants and was followed by an extensive discussion with the audience, during which both the challenges and the opportunities shaping the future of beekeeping in the region were highlighted.
About the Programme “Queen Rearing in Central Greece”
The programme “Queen Rearing in Central Greece – Utilisation, Preservation and Improvement of Honey Bee Genetic Material” is co-funded by New Agriculture New Generation, the Region of Central Greece, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, and APIVITA through the Billion Bees Program.
The programme was established through the founding grant of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to New Agriculture New Generation and is implemented in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, under the scientific guidance of the Laboratory of Sericulture and Apiculture.
