Category: Workforce Development Programms

Program Title

Rebuilding Beekeeping Sector in Thessaly: Training on preparing for and responding to natural disasters

Brief Description

New Agriclture New Generation organization announces the commencement of a free training program on “Rebuilding Beekeeping Sector in Thessaly: Training on preparing for and responding to natural disasters” The program is aimed at all beekeepers in Thessaly and is implemented as part of the action “Restarting Beekeeping Sector in Thessaly.”

Specifically, there will be 10 educational meetings in 10 different municipalities of Thessaly, even in remote areas, with the aim of supporting over 300 beekeepers with knowledge and skills to better prepare them to face challenges, adapt to climate change, and take necessary measures for proper hive management. The action “Restarting Beekeeping Sector in Thessaly” also includes the new program “Rebuilding Beekeeping Sector in Thessaly: Queen Rearing: Replenishing Bee Colonies and Rescuing Local Genetic Material”. The program, scheduled to be implemented between March and September 2024, will provide support to 300 affected professional beekeepers in Thessaly, offering 20,000 royal cells. These actions will contribute not only to the restoration of damages caused by “Daniel” but also to the development of conditions for the future strengthening of the sector in Thessaly.

The above-mentioned training sessions will be implemented in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and Associate Professor George Goras, beekeeper Alexandros Gousiaris, beekeeping trainer, and Dimitris Voloudakis and Kalliopi Karaboiki from New Agriculture New Generation organization.

They are co-funded by the Nea Gea Nea Genia organization through the founding donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Region of Thessaly, the Charitable Foundation of Ioannis S. Latsis, and the company APIVITA.

Purpose of the Program 

New Agriculture New Generation organization aims to contribute to the reconstruction of the apiculture sector and support beekeepers in Thessaly after the floods caused by the “Daniel” phenomenon. As climate change and extreme weather conditions are expected to continue affecting our daily lives in the coming years, the new training program aims to improve beekeeping practices and overall bee health. The goal is to enhance bee resilience and reduce the impacts of climate change by transferring knowledge and practices from specialized scientists.

Target Audience

All beekeepers in Thessaly.

Topics

Climate change and its impacts Measures before, during, and after natural disasters Annual hive management plan

Areas of Action

Regional Unit of Larissa Regional Unit of Trikala Regional Unit of Magnesia Regional Unit of Karditsa Karditsa – April 19, 2024, Dimitra Center (Cotton Sorting Center Building)

Trainers

Alexandros Gousiaris, beekeeper, beekeeping trainer George Goras, Associate Professor, Laboratory of Apiculture and Sericulture, Agricultural University of Athens Dimitris Voloudakis, Agronomist, Director of Capacity Building Nea Gea Nea Genia, Scientific Associate of the Academy of Athens Kalliopi Karaboiki, Agronomist, Capacity Building Manager of Nea Gea Nea Genia organization

Duration of Action

Each training session lasts for 4 hours. Free with application for participation.

For More Information

Kalliopi Karaboiki, Capacity Building Manager

New Agriculture New Generation

Tel: 2106917986, 6972096122

Email: [email protected]

Brief Description

The organization “New Agriculture New Generation” and the Region of Thessaly, in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, announce the start of the second phase of the program titled “Queen rearing: Utilization, rescue, and genetic improvement of bees in Thessaly”.

The educational program is designed and implemented by the Agricultural University of Athens, under the scientific guidance of the Laboratory of Sericulture and Beekeeping, headed by Associate Professor Georgios Gkoras. The program is co-financed by the Region of Thessaly and the organization “New Agriculture New Generation” through the founding donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

The program is divided into 2 phases. In the first phase, which has already been completed, 20 beneficiaries acquired knowledge on queen rearing, royal jelly production, and proper beekeeping practices. Upon completion of the basic training, the trainees will be engaged in the second phase of the program in each regional unit of Thessaly to organize collective queen rearing in bee colonies under their responsibility. This action will include organizing beekeepers in the area who wish to participate in the program, demonstrating and implementing queen cell grafting for the production of quality queens from selected genetic material. The resulting queen cells will be managed by the beekeepers themselves for their benefit, without any financial burden.

Program Objective

The aim of the program is to carry out queen cell grafting by a group of specialized individuals who will have the ability to present, explain in detail the process, and address queries that may arise from participating beekeepers. This action has multiple objectives: familiarizing a large number of beekeepers with the process of producing quality queens, mass production throughout the entire region of Thessaly of selected genetic material, ultimately aiming to increase production, and creating a specialized activity—queen rearing—that could potentially become a professional outlet.

Target Audience

Beekeepers operating in the wider area of Thessaly.

Educational Cycle Action Area 2021-2022

Region of Thessaly

Duration of Action

Until autumn 2022

Contact Numbers for Larissa Regional Unit

Konstantinos Zampakas: 6907274936

Vasilis Kalantzis: 6981474310

Elina Kampisiou: 6974012351

Georgios Matoulas: 6934756123

Ioannis Senko: 6936820666

Contact Numbers for Magnesia Regional Unit

Fotis Zangavieros: 6943802130

Dimitris Koletas: 6974202989

Nikolaos Kritsalis: 6997729573

Eleftheria Salamura: 6987506498

Periklis Stamou: 6972501043

Contact Numbers for Karditsa Regional Unit

Katerina Apostolopoulou: 6993736456

Alexandros Giannakopoulos: 6988198696

Alexandros Liatsos: 6976290719

Georgios Xiros: 6983603675

Contact Numbers for Trikala Regional Unit

Konstantinos Lambrogeorgos: 6979630121

Apostolos Topalidis: 6980293837

Ioannis Topalidis: 6974917578

For more information

Filippa Griva, Agricultural University of Athens

Tel: 6982187876 Email: [email protected]

For more information about the organization “New Agriculture New Generation”

Kalliopi Karamboiki, Capacity Building Associate

Tel: 2106917986 Email: [email protected]

The organization “New Agriculture New Generation” has been active in the Greek countryside since 2018, through the Founding Donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, aiming to create employment opportunities and broader development in the agri-food sector. To date, more than 3,500 farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and public and private sector executives have participated in our organization’s training activities through more than 50 training and consulting programs in over 65 locations across Greece. The fact that we manage to create bridges of cooperation by bringing together leading scientists and researchers, as well as advisors and experienced business executives, allows us to provide high-quality services to beneficiary farmers, livestock breeders, young scientists, and entrepreneurs.

The proposal “Open Olive Academy” emerged after a series of discussions between the Municipality of Northern Kynouria, the Chamber of Arcadia, and the organization “New Agriculture New Generation,” aiming to support the primary sector of the Municipality. Supporters of the program are “LIVELIA” S.A., Nikolaos I. Foufas – Olive Mill, DOUZENIS OLIVE OIL S.A., Agrodynamis of Northern Kynouria O.E., AGROTECHNIKI KINOURIAS and FOUFAS BROS SA.

The olive cultivation sector is a significant agricultural activity for the wider area. Olive oil production in the Northern Kynouria region can exceed 3,000 tons.

On the other hand, the country is characterized by one of the lowest percentages of trained farmers at the EU level and some of the weakest knowledge transfer systems in the agri-food sector (EU 2019).

Program Objective

The objective of this proposal is to strengthen the olive cultivation sector in the wider area of Northern Kynouria by transferring knowledge based on the creation of an integrated, coherent, and fast-paced training seminar cycle on the olive and olive oil sector, which will also include experiential education.

These seminars will cover the entire chain of cultivation, production, and marketing. Seminar instructors will include experts from the New Agriculture New Generation organization, external collaborators such as market executives and consultants with recognized experience in production, standardization, packaging, and marketing, as well as academics and university professors.

By attending the seminar cycle, participants will gain basic knowledge in the following areas:

– Preparation – establishment of an olive grove

– Olive physiology

– Cultivation practices

– Plant protection & Climate Change

– Quality

– Processing and marketing

Target Audience

The program is aimed at olive growers, whether professional or supplementary, who are active in the Municipality of Northern Kynouria. Additionally, professionals from the entire value chain of olive oil and olives, such as olive mill owners, processors, and traders, can participate in the seminars.

Priority will be given to professional young producers under 45 years old, followed by professional producers of any age, after evaluating the applications.

Action Area

Municipality of Northern Kynouria

Action Duration

The program will start on June 28 and will be completed at the beginning of October. Overall, the program will have a duration of 52 training hours and will cover six (6) two-day sessions.

More Info

Marianna Gkavrou, Project Manager, New Agriculture New Generation

T. 6955678270

E. [email protected]

SUPPORT THE ACTION

Short description

This project is a comprehensive training for small ruminant farmers for the implementation of modern zootechnical and management practices under the supervision of the Laboratory of Nutrition, of the School of Veterinary Medicine, of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Agricultural Construction of the Agricultural University of Athens, the Hellenic Feedstuff Industries (EL.VI.Z. SA) and Eurofarm SA with several well experienced Professors and Scientists of the agriculture, both horticulture and animal production. Scientific coordinator of the project will be Dr Ilias Giannenas, Assistant professor and director of Laboratory of Nutrition.

The training program for sheep and goat breeding will prepare two groups of 30 young people to develop into organized breeders – entrepreneurs. With the completion of the program, the new breeders will be a “yeast” of trained professionals according to the new requirements for more environmentally friendly management, improvements in stables and rational nutrition and will be able to support the production of high quality products.

The training program lasts 100 hours, of which 50 hours involves theorical training and 50 hours involves  practice.

At the end of the program a Certificate of Attendance will be given to participants.

Program objectives

The main goal of the program is to be a good starting point for new breeders / producers and to provide them with support throughout their activities.

Target group

Participants must be willing to participate in the training program (at least 90% attendance), be occupied and interested in modern sheep and goat farming as well as to be available to start their employment in sheep and goat farming as new farmers.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes the following topics (indicatively):

• Organisation and application of modern integrated management practices on sheep and goat farms
• Production of feeds using environmentally-environment methods
• Rational diet formulation of small ruminants
• Improvement of the microclimate of sheep and goat farms
• Waste exploitation for the production of energy and bio-fertilizers

Areas of activation of the 2021-22 training round

Lemnos and Rodopi

Duration of action

6 months. Attendance is mandatory
Classes take place 3 to 4 days each month (approximately).

Additional information

Ilias Giannenas
School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Tel: 2310999937
Email: [email protected]