Supporting the achievement of EU hygiene standards and the involvement of women beekeepers in the processing of bee products in Vojvodina

Description

The project is based on the National Agriculture and Food Centre's (NAFC) experience and contacts in Serbia gained during the implementation of Slovakaid projects implemented in the period 2009 – 2015. The aim of the project is to support beekeeping as one of the key  factors of sustainable land management and the involvement of women in the processing of bee products. The specific objectives of the project are: -       To promote the competitiveness of apiculture products mainly from small beekeepers fulfillment of EU hygiene standards, thus opening markets for such products. -       Increasing the professional competence of beekeepers to improve the breeding, processing and production of bee products. -       Involve women in rural areas in the production of labor-intensive bee products and activities related to agri-tourism related to beekeeping. Therefore, the main activities of the project will focus on the development of a hygiene manual for the production of bee products in accordance with EU hygiene regulations, retrofitting and adjusting processing capacity and creating model training facilities for selected beekeepers, training and coaching for beekeepers and women beekeepers focused on good production and hygiene practices. The target group for the project are beekeepers and women - beekeepers, processors of bee products and providing services in the field of agrotourism associated with beekeeping. The outputs of the project will be the Hygiene Manual, model-training production capacities, trained, professionally qualified beekeepers. The implementation of the project concerns Vojvodina - the territory in which the members of the Association of Beekeepers of Vojvodina operate, specifically the associations that are partners in the project. Model plants will be created for beekeepers selected on the basis of objective possibilities of creating suitable premises corresponding to hygienic requirements, production size and willingness to provide advice and services to surrounding beekeepers.