Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visits a Terra Creta farm with a gaiasense station As part of his official visit to Greece, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited a few days ago the olive farm of Terra Creta in Kolymvari, Crete, where the gaiasense by NEUROPUBLIC telemetric agrometeorological station is installed. In a workshop dedicated to the principles of regenerative agriculture in primary production and good practices, President Steinmeier had the opportunity to see the commitment of local farmers and the importance of sustainable practices, such as NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense smart farming system implemented in the region. As the harvest season is still ongoing, he had the opportunity to participate in the process of olive harvesting and gained first-hand experience of regenerative harvesting techniques.
NEUROPUBLIC to Boost Sustainable Avocado Farming in the Farmtopia Project The EU project Farmtopia, running from 2023 to 2026, aims to make digital technologies accessible to all, including small- and medium-sized farmers. To transform farming practices across Europe, Farmtopia addresses the underdeveloped existing Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs), while also spotlighting regionally important crops, through 9 Sustainable Innovation Pilots. One of the Pilots happens to be tied to Greece, as NEUROPUBLIC, a pioneering ADS provider, which also coordinates the project, is set to launch activities that tackle sustainability and cost-effectiveness challenges of the organic avocado sector and could lead to a 15% reduction in water consumption and 10% reduction in production costs in the sector. Path to a Solution for Small-Scale and Medium-Scale Farmers Smaller farms are operating on fragmented land parcels with limited financial resources, leading organic avocado farming to face significant sustainability hurdles and high expenses. With an increasing demand for irrigation, there’s an urgent need to mitigate environmental impact and reduce input costs. With the technological infrastructure ready and the challenges mapped, NEUROPUBLIC together with GAIA EPICHEIREIN, representing and engaging farmers in this Sustainable Innovation Pilot 1 (SIP1), aims to leverage the Farmtopia software modules to enhance the gaiasense Smart Farming solution. This enhancement will provide farmers with low-cost, high-quality advice on irrigation and fertilization, crucial for optimizing resource usage and maximizing yield potential. The key components of SIP1’s strategy include establishing a regional-wide infrastructure of IoT weather stations installed in 7 different parcels, leveraging economies of scale to ensure accuracy in data collection. The strategy also includes combining various data types of different spatial and temporal analysis, as to provide farmers with precise insights, empowering them to make informed decisions. Finally, SIP1 will facilitate the controlled exchange of sensor recordings, farm advice, and regional data among farmer cooperatives, well-connected local agronomists, and food companies. Vasilis Papaspiliou, Leader of SIP1 activities on behalf of NEUROPUBLIC in Farmtopia By implementing its innovative solutions, SIP1 aims to achieve a 15% reduction in water consumption, a 10% reduction in fertilizer use, and a 10% reduction in production costs. Farmtopia’s Open Call for Innovation in 2024 While 9 SIPs have been pre-selected, more will be chosen later, with the Farmtopia Open Call beginning this year. The forthcoming Open Call will facilitate the collaborative development and testing of intelligent solutions tailored for small farms by 9 newly established Sustainable Innovation Pilots (SIPs). These initiatives will leverage Farmtopia’s reusable software modules. A total funding of €900,000, amounting to €100,000 per SIP, will be allocated for this purpose. EU Project Farmtopia: Cultivating Community Farmtopia’s inclusive strategy will unite a wide array of stakeholders across the agricultural value chain, including farmers, ADS providers, farm advisors, scientists, policymakers, AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors, and other essential contributors. Together, they will actively contribute to the project’s overarching mission. The Farmtopia project (GA No.: 101083541) has received funding by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. All the information is available on the project’s website, as well as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and YouTube.
Technology and innovation, NEUROPUBLIC’s proposal in the 4th Panhellenic Cotton Conference Climate change and its impact on cotton cultivation, the CAP 2023-2027 strategic plan and the provision of special coupled aid for cotton, the course of Greek cotton in international markets and its prospects, the training of producers in modern cultivation practices and the adaptation to the requirements of the Green Deal were some of the issues analyzed at the 4th Panhellenic Cotton Conference organized by Interprofessional Cotton Organization (DOB) in collaboration with ELGO DIMITRA on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, representatives of the political leadership, the academic community, institutional bodies and agricultural cooperatives, producers and ginners, as well as business executives were present at the event and approached key issues that concern Greek cotton cultivation, with the ultimate goal of drawing up future strategies for the top Greek product. Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President and Executive Director of NEUROPUBLIC, the company that plays a leading role in the green and digital transformation of agriculture in our country, spoke about a series of innovative technological products aimed at cotton growers in order to make their production easier and more efficient. In fact, Mr. Mavroudis also presented the major project “Digital Transformation of the Agricultural Sector” which concerns the modernization of the agricultural sector in order to cope with the great challenges it has been facing in recent years. The project undertaken by NEUROPUBLIC in collaboration with OTE, will give the producer direct access to a wealth of data to be able to have an insight into the conditions of temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, soil temperature and humidity, soil salinity, leaf moisture, rainfall, etc. that prevail in the field and its cultivation. Thus, it will be able to comply with the regulatory framework of the EU and the new CAP, improve its production qualitatively and quantitatively, save money and effectively deal with the risks that threaten its cultivation. The 4th Panhellenic Cotton Congress had a rich agenda that highlighted burning issues of producers and the industry, while it was for another year an important forum for the promotion of Greek cotton, the problems it is called upon to face, as well as its future potential.
Successful participation of NEUROPUBLIC in the 12th Agrotechnology Conference The 12th Agrotechnology Conference entitled “Primary Production with an Eye to the Future: Challenges and Prospects in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry” was successfully held by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and its Agrotechnology Committee on Friday, February 23 at the Porto Palace Hotel in Thessaloniki. During the conference, proposals for the next day after the relatively recent catastrophic weather phenomena and the systemic changes that the agricultural sector needs to regenerate were discussed. At the same time, extensive reference was made to livestock farming and its derivatives, such as dairy and cheese making, sectors with great potential but also significant challenges, given that they have to adapt to the growing demand with fewer resources. Speech of the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Eleftherios Avgenakis. Also present at the event was NEUROPUBLIC, which is leading the effort for the green and digital transformation of the primary sector. Specifically, Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President and Executive Director of the company, was in the co-capital and participated in a discussion on “Primary Production with an Eye to the Future: Challenges and Prospects in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry”, where he spoke on the issue of technology as a tool for dealing with natural disasters. In detail, Mr. Mavroudis stated that “Technology through a network of telemetry stations gives us an “eye” directly on cultivation. Our advice goes straight to the producer. We have the ability to send immediate warnings to immediately warn of extreme weather events.” Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President and Executive Director of NEUROPUBLIC, participated in a discussion on “Primary Production with an Eye to the Future: Challenges and Prospects in Agriculture and Livestock “After eight years of real commercial activity on smart farming, we understand that it is difficult to convince the producer that a technological tool can better help him in what he does. It was quite difficult,” explained Mr. Mavroudis to continue that “over the years, however, it has been proven that technology does help him make the right decision for the field.” “It’s quite a difficult process. But we have reached a level where and due to the regulatory obligations and due to this current in the EU that smart farming has, which has become a “trend”, I think that the producer is now interested, learns, buys, tastes and has become much more selective with whom he cooperates“, he concluded. “I am very optimistic about the future.” The annual Agrotechnology Conference has been organized continuously since 2012 and has now become an institution as the leading event of its kind, contributing to the successful course of the agricultural economy and the farmer-entrepreneur as a targeted, concise and interventional event. The 12th Conference was under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
gaiasense at the 2nd Panhellenic Rice Congress The 2nd Panhellenic Rice Congress, organized on Thursday, February 15, 2024 by the National Interprofessional Organization of Greek Rice (“N.I.O.O.R.EL.”) in Thessaloniki, was the ideal opportunity for NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense system to highlight the necessity and contribution of smart farming in the primary sector and, in particular, in Greek crop production. Representatives of the political leadership, institutional bodies such as agricultural cooperatives and rice mills, as well as rice producers were present and discussed the developments and challenges facing rice cultivation, while highlighting key issues that concern Greek rice cultivation and rice processing, with the main aim of developing strategic choices for the product and highlighting its value. In fact, Ioannis Mavroudis, NEUROPUBLIC’s Vice President and Executive Director, was at the Porto Palace Hotel and spoke about climate change and the challenges it creates, the road to sustainable agriculture, as well as the role of new technologies and, of course, smart farming and the development of the competitiveness of Greek rice in international markets. “Smart farming is the application of advanced computing and data analysis technologies with the ultimate goal of optimizing and rationalizing the entire production system“, Mr. Mavroudis commented, and continued by saying that “the gaiasense smart farming system is a Greek innovation that combines computing technologies with agronomic science in a holistic way. Gaiasense is the largest smart farming infrastructure on a pan-European level, covering through a proprietary network of more than 500 telemetric stations in 27 different crops, an area of more than 2 million acres in 6 countries in Europe. It is a system that aims to transition agri-food into the digital future“, while he did not fail to further elaborate on gaiasense’s contribution to the environment and climate: “It guarantees their safety, confirming that the future of the agri-food sector goes hand in hand with technological development,” he explained. “A necessary requirement for the implementation of all new technologies is the existence of agricultural advisors who will stand by the producers and will be able to exploit the potential of technological tools for their benefit. It is necessary to form in our country an integrated system of agricultural advisory services, with the incorporation of all the links in the value chain and knowledge of agricultural production, so that the Greek producer can be competitive in the global market and ensure its economic and social sustainability, ” Mr. Mavroudis concluded.
Event for Greek agriculture by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC The prospects of Greek agriculture, as well as the national actions in relation to the CAP 2023-2027, were presented during the informative event entitled “The Common Agricultural Policy today and in the future: ecological and digital transformation for a sustainable Greek agriculture”, organized jointly by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC on Friday 2 February 2024 in Thessaloniki. George Stratakos, Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC and Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President – Executive Member and Executive Director of NEUROPUBLIC. Representatives from the country’s political and business leadership, local authorities, the academic community and the agricultural world were present at The Met Hotel, with Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC, opening the evening, welcoming the attendees to Thessaloniki and to “this important event co-organized by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC for an issue that is topical and of great importance for our country“, he also stressed that “it is well known that the two companies have been playing a leading role for several years in informing and supporting producers and their collective schemes, while leading the development of agrifood“. Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis. Then, the President of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, Mr. Christos Avgoulas, who, among other things, said that one can make significant criticisms of the CAP, but cannot overlook the fact that “it is a valuable toolbox for the support and development of the sector which should not be rejected outright when conditions are difficult, but we should make every effort first of all to make the best use of it at national level, but also to seek to improve it together with our EU partners for the benefit of the sustainability of the farmer and the countryside“. The Minister, Mr. Avgenakis. The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, who delivered the main speech of the event, referred to the current agricultural news and in particular to the issues of the mobilizations. “We understand the anxiety and insecurity of farmers with the data we have. The climate crisis has taken over and the phenomena are not over with the disasters in Thessaly. We have to work wisely and with a perspective for the next period,” he argued, and referred to the aid package announced by the Prime Minister. In his final remarks, the Minister spoke about the prospects opened up by the establishment of agricultural departments in the Chambers of Commerce and also the actions undertaken by our country for cooperation with the countries of the South (EUMED-9) on issues related to climate change in the primary sector. Mrs. Rosa Gargalakou. Rosa Gargalakou, CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, in her turn, spoke about the digital transformation of the agricultural sector, which “is a one-way street and we have been serving it as a company for more than a decade”. “The new CAP clearly recognises the introduction of digital technologies as the most important tool for the transition to an agriculture that is sustainable for the environment but also economically viable for the farmers who practice it. In this direction, digitalisation is a horizontal objective of the CAP, i.e. an objective that serves all the others,” she said. “The crucial question that is being asked globally is not whether ” digitalisation can be implemented ” but whether and how the huge inequalities it can create at the expense of those unable to keep up with its dizzying pace can be addressed. We have no more time to waste,” Ms Gargalakou stressed, to conclude: “In this direction, the country’s decision to invest in the creation of a national public infrastructure for the collection and processing of data for agricultural use is more than promising and is bound to contribute decisively to the widespread use of new technologies in the field.” Mr Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy. Ms Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development. Mr. Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former President of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy, Ms. Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis of the Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Commission, and Mr. Giorgos Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE) took the floor. Mrs. Elli Tsiforou. The first part of the event was completed with conclusions by Mrs. Elli Tsiforou, Managing Director of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, who emphasized that “there should be an end to the tension, the polarization between the economic and environmental/climatic dimensions of agricultural activity and the corresponding objectives of the Green Deal of the CAP. The golden mean between economy and environment-climate must be found”. The evening ended with a seated dinner where the attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a fine, specially designed menu with products from producers and businesses that apply the principles of smart farming and, in particular, the advice of NEUROPUBLIC’s innovative gaiasense system. Specifically, potatoes from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia, tomato products from D. Nomikos S.A., green olives from Chalkidiki from G. Mylonopoulos & Co., cheeses from Moschos Farm, legumes from the company Arossis, beef from the Agricultural Cooperative of Kastoria, kiwifruit from the Agricultural Cooperative “Neos Aliakmon” and oranges from the company Anyfion Greece S.A. In all the preparations, olive oil from the company Terra Creta was used, while the dinner was accompanied by wine from the winery Kir Yianni Estate. The President of NEUROPUBLIC, Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis with the MEP Mr. Nikos Papandreou. The CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, Rosa Gargalakou with the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis. Mr. Yannis Boutaris, former Mayor of Thessaloniki, also welcomed the participants. Mr. George Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE). The event was attended by, among others, the Members of the Southwestern Parliament Mr. Stavros Kalafatis and Fanis Pappas, the MEP PASOK-KINAL, Mr. Nikos Papandreou, the Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Mr. George Stratakos, the former Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Yannis Boutaris, the interim President of OPEKEPE, Mr. Kyriakos Babasidis, the President of Geot.E.E., Mr. Menelaos Gardikiotis, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Cotton, Mr. Efthymis Fotinos, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Meat, Mr. Yannis Fassoulas, the Team Leader for Digitisation from DG Agriculture EU, Ms Evangelia Mourmoura, the former Member of the South-Western Parliament, Mr Kostas Kiltidis, the temporary Vice-Presidents of OPEKEPE, Mr. Eleftherios Zervos and Mr Kourdis Ioannis, the General Secretary of OPEKEPE, Mr Eleftherios Zervos and Mr. Kourdis Ioannis, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Kourdis, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Commission. Mr. Eleftherios Zervier and Mr. Kierkerios, Mr. Alkiviadis Alexandrou, General Manager of Agricultural Banking of Piraeus Bank, representatives of the LATSCO Family Office, who hold a minority share in the share capital of NEUROPUBLIC, representatives of large agronomic offices and Presidents of Agricultural Cooperatives – shareholders of GAIA EPICHEIREIN from all over the country, and many others. The Municipality of Thessaloniki was represented by the Deputy Mayor of Entrepreneurship & Citizen Service, Mr. Pantelis Kazantzidis, who addressed the attendees.
gaiasense at the 30th Agrotica International Fair The 30th International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery, Equipment and Supplies, Agrotica, which welcomed more than 150,000 visitors from 1 to 4 February at the Helexpo International Exhibition Centre in Thessaloniki, was the focal point of the agricultural world from all over the country and the wider Balkan region. Focusing on digitalisation, innovation and high technology in agricultural production, this year’s Agrotica once again emphatically set the dominant priorities of the primary sector at an international level. Of course, NEUROPUBLIC, the company that leads the developments in agriculture and, in particular, the in green and digital transformation of the agricultural sector, could not be absent from the event. In fact, the Piraeus-based technology and IT company was at Agrotica with its own booth where it presented all its latest innovations, as well as the technological “tools” it has developed to help farmers improve and rationalize their production. The complete solution for the effective treatment of olive tree fruit fly has the signature of NEUROPUBLIC. In detail, the people who passed through the gates of this year’s Agrotica had the opportunity to discuss with NEUROPUBLIC representatives how they can improve their agricultural production and see for themselves: gaiaTRAP, the most comprehensive solution for the effective control of olive fruit fly, which is based on the latest technology of electronic lace traps and an electronic platform, using AI (Artificial Intelligence) developed in collaboration with the Smart Sension technoblast of the Ionian University, the new functionalities of the gaiasense mobile app and, in particular, the fertilization advice and the nutrient balance that help the producer to calculate the nutrient needs of his crop, get personalised advice and benefit from the aid of the Ecological Programmes, the capabilities of the Smart Weather by gaiasense platform, which offers a 5-day weather forecast throughout Greece, as well as 24-hour historical data from the 400 agro-meteorological stations of the gaiasense network. At the same time, the programme did not lack events. Thus, NEUROPUBLIC, in cooperation with GAIA EPIXEIREIN, organized on Friday, February 2, a working dinner entitled “The Common Agricultural Policy today and in the future: ecological and digital transformation for a sustainable Greek agriculture” and the presence of selected representatives of the political, academic, business and agricultural world. Specifically, the main speech at the event was delivered by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, while the following participated with their statements. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC, Christos Avgoulas, President of GAIA EPICHREIN, Rosa Gargalakou, CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development, George Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organisations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE), and Elli Tsiforou, CEO of GAIA EPIXEIREIN. George Stratakos, Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC and Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President – Executive Member and Executive Advisor of NEUROPUBLIC. Companies from the entire spectrum of agricultural production and technology, a multitude of associations, organizations and institutions, as well as educational foundations and ordinary farmers came to the 30th Agrotica to bring to the fore all the critical issues of Greek agriculture and the dynamics of the primary sector, while not failing to highlight the products, services, innovations and technology that change the “face” of agri-food.
AGROTICA 2024: gaiasense will be dynamically present Once again, the eyes of the agri-food sector will be on Thessaloniki and the 30th Agrotica International Fair between 1-4 February 2024. And not without reason, as for four days, the entire spectrum of agribusiness will meet at the Helexpo International Exhibition Centre and the benchmark exhibition for the agricultural sector in the Balkans and South East Europe. NEUROPUBLIC, the leading company in the green and digital transformation of agricultural production, which last year celebrated 20 years of successful and creative progress and is now preparing for even more dynamic and decisive steps forward, will also be present at the internationally renowned event. At its specially designed booth at Stand 28, Booth 2 (floor), all its advanced services and applications will be presented, while experienced company representatives will be there to introduce visitors to the innovative products developed by NEUROPUBLIC and discuss with them the modern challenges of the primary sector. In detail, the new upgraded features of the gaiasense app for mobile phones will be presented and, more specifically, the Nutrition Advice and Nutrient Balance that help the producer to calculate the nutrient needs of his crop, to receive personalized nutrition advice and to benefit financially from the support of the Ecological Programmes. At the same time, those who pass by the company’s stand will have the opportunity to discover the capabilities of the Smart Weather by gaiasense platform, which offers a 5-day weather forecast throughout Greece, as well as 24-hour historical data from the 400+ agro-meteorological stations of the gaiasense network – the largest in the country. George Papadimas, Commercial Director of NEUROPUBLIC commented: ‘The primary sector is one of the main pillars of the Greek economy, given the need at international level to ensure food sufficiency and security. Our aim is for Greek producers to make use of our tools and services in order to exploit their crops more efficiently and effectively, thus enhancing their outward orientation and reducing their environmental footprint.” Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Greece and abroad are expected to pass through the gates of Agrotica, while numerous trade missions from the Balkans, Europe and the Middle East have confirmed their presence.