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PAPASTRATOS
The main objective of the action is to strengthen the competitiveness of Greek tobacco and those employed in the tobacco industry which constitutes a significant pillar of the rural economy of the country, with respect to the environment.
Specifically, the program aims to assist farmers in land stewardship through the development of environmental awareness and the promotion of efficient management of available natural resources for high quality tobacco and the rise of their revenue turnover.
Precision Agriculture (a modern approach to entrepreneurial tobacco quality production and environmental awareness) benefits the farmer, the environment, and specifically, the tobacco crop cultivation in terms of final product that connects to optimum yields of leaf quality through a holistic approach in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
410 tobacco growers (2014-2015) and is expected to involve 110 more growers in 2016.
The program "Precision Agriculture" was launched in 2014 and it continues until today.
It is the 1st time in Greece that special educational programs are being organized only for tobacco growers.
The program includes theoretical and practical courses in the field and workshops of a total duration of 56 hours (10 working days per circle). The participants are being trained in Oriental tobaccos and Basma, the two main varieties of tobacco produced in Greece.
Schedule:
1. On farm smart technology applications - Precision Agriculture Principles
2. Soil Mapping with GIS systems
3. Tobacco cultivation and plant protection counseling
4. Basic Principles of soil: Soil/water/tissue analysis
5. Demo use of technical equipment and applications for precision agriculture
6. Organic tobacco cultivation
7. Record keeping and product costing/ Entrepreneurial thinking
8. Best cultivation practices: Field fertilizer applications & irrigation issues (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere integrated continuum)
9. New Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - Integrated tobacco cultivation
10. Biosafety rules and legislation & Introduction to traceability
The courses started early of October and were completed in January.
Before the registration period, there was a large organization of a communication wave towards tobacco farmers unions so that they would inform the farmers. The tobacco growers’ interest exceeded the program’s capacity and for this reason, it was repeat for a 2nd and a 3rd year. After the 2nd year, there were demands to extend the seminars and other growers areas.
At the end of each program, a graduation ceremony was organized during which a certificate was given to all participants.
An ultramodern mechanism have been used for the courses (eg. specific drone).
PAPASTRATOS collaborated on this initiative with the American Farm School, which has been organizing and conducting these seminars.
From the American Farm’s School side, a group of organizational team and teachers worked for this action, while from PAPASTRATOS’ side it was a team of employees from the higher management team, as well as the departments of corporate affairs, finance, internal controls and the legal department.
The training took place in oriental and Basma main producing regions.
Specifically, the 1st year in areas: Kolindros (Pierias), Lofos (Katerini), Selero (Xanthi) and Prosotsani (Drama).
The 2nd year in Lofos (Katerini), Mikini (Xanthi), Amaxades (Xanthi), Nea Zixni (Serres), Kalampaki (Drama), Kozani and Elassona (Larissa).
The program received excellent feedback from the participants and this has been proven from both the rise of the number of people being interested in it from 2014 to 2015 as well as from the participants’ program’s evaluation results. In 2014, 128 tobacco growers attended these educational programs, a number that has been increased by 116% (227 tobacco growers) in 2015 due to high interest. At the same time, the program’s evaluation research have shown that the participants rated their professors with 4.86 and the seminars’ content with 4.63 (the scale was from 1 to 5, 5 was the highest score).
At the end of the course, the participants have been satisfied in terms of seminars’ content, as seen from the above results, and thereby they were given an opportunity to:
1. Understand the importance of smart technology applications in tobacco quality production
2. Acquire soil analysis skills and continuum importance for integrated quality production through field
and laboratory exercises
3. Develop cultivation record keeping and product costing skills through the provided software
4. Build environmental awareness in becoming Stewards of the Land
Philip Morris International and its subsidiary PAPASTRATOS have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Greek Government for purchasing 50% Greek oriental tobacco production for the next three years (until 2018).
Therefore, ensuring tobacco farmers’ training through a holistic approach (soil - plant - atmosphere) that leads to an improvement of tobacco’s quality and profitability, benefits the public interest of Philip Morris International, the rural economy of the country and the environment.