The organization “New Agriculture New Generation” announces the support from the Region of Thessaly for the action “Restart of Beekeeping in Thessaly”, which has been active since January 27, 2024, and consists of two different support programs for beekeepers in Thessaly.
The first of the two programs of the action concerns the training on “Natural Disasters: Protection and Replenishment of Beekeeping Capital”, which is free and targets all beekeepers in Thessaly, aiming to improve beekeeping practices and overall hive health, focusing on addressing the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. In collaboration with specialized scientists, high value-added knowledge and practices are provided to enhance bee resilience and prepare beekeepers to better face future challenges.
In the coming two months, 10 educational meetings are planned in 10 different municipalities of Thessaly, aiming to support more than 300 beekeepers with better knowledge and skills in hive management. The training will be conducted in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and Associate Professor George Gkoras, Mr. Alexandros Gkousiaris, beekeeper and beekeeping trainer, and Mr. Dimitris Voloudakis and Mrs. Kalliopi Karampoiki from the organization “New Agriculture New Generation”.
The second program of the action titled “Queen Rearing: Replenishment and Conservation of Endemic Genetic Material”, which is expected to be implemented between March and September 2024, will provide support to at least 300 affected professional beekeepers in Thessaly, by supplying 27,000 queen cells.
The support from the Region of Thessaly ensures, among other things, the expansion of the beneficiaries’ training process, the organization of an informative seminar, and the provision of venues for the training sessions. Additionally, it contributes to maximizing the number of cells to be provided to the affected beekeepers.
The two programs of the action will contribute to the restoration of the damages caused by “Daniel” and will create conditions for the future strengthening of the beekeeping sector in Thessaly.
Immediately after the meeting, Ms. Effie Lazaridou, Managing Director of the organization “New Agriculture New Generation,” stated:
“It is a special joy and honor for us to have the trust of the Region of Thessaly, through the adoption of the significant initiative we are taking for the recovery of beekeeping after the devastating phenomenon of ‘Daniel’. I am confident that this cooperation will optimize the results of the initiative. With the help of the Region, we maximize the number of queen cells to be delivered to professional beekeepers, expand training activities, and we are planning to organize a relevant seminar for the beekeeping sector and its future.”
On his part, the Regional Governor, Mr. Dimitris Kouretas, reiterated the Region of Thessaly’s interest in beekeeping. “Both as a regional governor and as a scientist, I have a great interest in beekeeping, considering it a crucial factor in the primary and agri-food sector. We have already taken initiatives to ensure the authenticity of honey, and now we support the restart of beekeeping with two programs that will significantly strengthen the sector.”
The programs are co-financed by the organization “New Agriculture New Generation” through the founding donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, and the company APIVITA.
