“Strengthening capacities of farmers for cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) through transfer of knowledge and good practices” or short acronym CuLT
- The project will be realized in 2016 and 2017 with support of National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility in frame of ERAZMUS + program.
- The project will be implemented by “Probio” doo Skopje, in partnership with PE “Macedonian Forests” from Skopje, Macedonia, “Bioselena” from Carlovo, Bulgaria and “American Farm School” from Thessaloniki, Greece.
The main goal of the proposed project is to promote the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants – MAP, according to their economic, environmental and social significance. Through the planned interventions, the population in rural areas will benefit from improved opportunities to increase revenues by stimulating the human and social capital, and the other side will come to the preservation of existing natural resources.
The specific objectives are related to:
• Stimulate partnerships and capacity building among farmers and processors of MAP`s for the improvement of quality and quantity of cultivation
• Build the capacities needed in the value chain of MAP`s to meet the market demand for typical regional products
Under this project farmers will be motivated and trained to growing MAP`s. There are several reasons for cultivation of MAP`s :
• The climatic conditions in the country are eligible to growing MAP
• Domestic and European markets are booming
• Increased demand for MAP`s from cultivated land takes away the pressure on natural resources or wild gathered MAP.
To realize the objectives, a series of project activities are planned:
1. Activities related to the preparation of a Study on the potential for growing MAP and qualitative research of value chain of cultivated MAP`s. Interviews with companies dealing with growing MAP and companies who are interested in cultivation, through a structured questionnaire.
- Activities for capacity building in the value chain MAP – training professional team during the 2016
– 2 training will be conducted in two cycles, one in Greece and one in Bulgaria
– There will be prepared a Manual for growing certain MAP`s that have the greatest market potential
- Activities for stimulation of partnerships and building a consolidating relations between farmers, buyers and processors of MAP`s in which the key role have PE “Macedonian Forests” by:- Production of MAP`s seedlings in their nurseries
– Setting up a pilot – plantations by MAP`s in several locations
– Practical training to future producers – farmers of MAP`s
- Activities related to dissemination of knowledge – planned for 2017
– Regional workshops for growers MAP`s
– Thematic workshops
- Promotional activities by informing the public and all interested parties in the cultivation of MAP`s in the country, through the WEB site of the project, and participation on international events such as:
– Participation of all partners in the project, the IDA Conference in Greece in June 2016
– Final Conference with a presentation of project results in Skopje in September 2017