Greece needs new and functional structures and enhanced farm advisory services in order to give smart farming a promotion, an agricultural expert told EURACTIV.com.
Ioannis Koufoudakis, CEO at GAIA Epicheirein, underlined that southern member states had common challenges to tackle, mainly the small and fragmented agricultural holdings.
Already a member of EU farmers’ union Copa-Cogeca, GAIA Epicheirein is a newly established organisation of farmers and agri- cooperatives in Greece, representing 150,000 farmers.
Referring to a possible decrease in the CAP’s first pillar, the direct payments, Koufoudakis noted it should be avoided, as well as any sudden shift towards a radically new CAP model.
“Because that is how the agricultural reality of the south has been structured for so many years and we cannot have radical changes because they will cause aversion for the new CAP,” he noted.
A way to address the structural problems of the south is to enhance smart farming. “We believe that new technologies should enter the field so that even small crops will be profitable.”
“In GAIA, we have tangible proof of the positive impact of smart farming on both productivity and sustainability through the first results of the large-scale pilot project we put in place with the help of our partner from the IT sector. The benefit increase from reduced inputs and improved yields varies between 18% – 36% depending on the crop type,” he underlined.
Koufoudakis also explained that the EU satellites and the funds are in place but the market and the farmers should also be encouraged and incentivised to absorb them and accompanied during the whole process by strong farm advisory systems.
“There is a need for new and functional structures in Greece. Farm advisory services have not worked out in our country even though they’re key in ensuring our necessary transition to a more competitive and sustainable agricultural model,” he stressed.
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Source: EurActiv
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