Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program

Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program The "Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program" launched by the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association on 5 March continues. In the 6th week of the program, visits were made to the Özgörkey company group located in Torbalı, İzmir and Agrobay Greenhouse Cultivation in Dikili. In the 6th week of the Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program organized by the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association to bring together young people and the agricultural sector, visits were made to the Özgörkey company group in İzmir and Agrobay Greenhouse Cultivation. Detailed information was shared with program participants regarding the entire supply chain processes from product arrival at the facility, production processes, waste management, companies' sustainability policies, R&D activities, to packaging and shipping, and was demonstrated in practice.

Young People Being Brought Into the Agricultural Sector

The program organized for young people to gain more information about the agricultural sector is proceeding successfully. Participants are learning by visiting greenhouse areas and production facilities. The program's opening meeting was held on 4 March, and training began on 5 March. In the final week of the six-week program, participants continued their visits. In the sixth week, visits were made to Feast, Turkey's largest integrated frozen food facility affiliated with the Özgörkey company group in Torbalı, İzmir, and Agrobay Greenhouse Cultivation in Dikili, the world's second largest and Europe's and Turkey's largest greenhouse operation, with participants being included in the processes in practice.

"We Offered a Comprehensive Training Program Covering the Entire Process"

Hayrettin Uçak, Chairman of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association, made statements regarding the program. Uçak said, "As Aegean Exporter Associations, which have conducted 75 percent of Turkey's organic product exports for 38 years, we are investing in many projects from the perspective of sustainability through cooperation with both the academic world and our national and international stakeholders. Through our Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program, we have offered our young people a comprehensive training program covering all processes necessary for sustainable agriculture, from input industries to the field, from the field to processors-packagers, to logistics and consumers, reaching the point where waste is minimized and recovery is maximized."

"Interactive Question and Answer Sessions Were Conducted"

Uçak shared information regarding the sixth week of the program and stated: "In the sixth week of our program, our participants visited Agrobay in Dikili, the world's second largest and Europe's and Turkey's largest greenhouse operation where every stage from irrigation to fertilization is controlled with modern technological infrastructure, and another visited facility, Feast; Turkey's largest integrated frozen food facility. Both of our companies are pioneering enterprises in sustainable agriculture and production, investing in innovation, and exporting to many countries from the Far East to Europe, with a leading role in women's employment. Food engineers, agricultural engineers and human resources at our companies made presentations to our participants regarding all stages meticulously handled from production to packaging to logistics, and interactive question and answer sessions were conducted." Hayrettin Uçak stated, "Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Program participants were informed by our companies producing under Good Agricultural Practices and GlobalGAP certification conditions about production in processes that comply with the EU Green Deal and will reduce carbon footprint, changing global demand and sustainable production-consumption, conscious pesticide use, and international certification processes. Since both our facilities operate through contract farming, products are processed after analysis. All products undergo pesticide analysis and are processed if they comply with international standards."