With significant participation from the world of cotton farming and not only completed on Wednesday 15 February 2023 in Komotini the 3rd Panhellenic Congress for Cotton organized by the Interprofessional Organization of Cotton in cooperation with ELGO Demetra and under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development & Food and the support of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and the Municipality of Komotini.

With a rich agenda that highlighted issues such as the competitiveness of farms, the EU Green Deal and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), climate change and its impact on cotton farming, the prospects of the ginned cotton market, and the role of digitalization and smart farming in the present and future of the sector, the Congress was once again a great forum for the promotion of the Greek primary sector and the challenges it faces.

NEUROPUBLIC was also present at the Congress, with the presence of Ioannis Mavroudis, Business Strategy & Extroversion Consultant of the company, who participated in the session “Precision Agriculture, Quality and Product Identity – IOB Educational and Research Program”. Specifically, Mr. Mavroudis presented the gaiasense system and analyzed the advantages of applying smart farming on cotton, with particular emphasis on the results it brings to producers in terms of fertilization, irrigation and plant protection.

He also discussed how the technology of gaiasense can help the farmer to effectively address the risks that threaten his crop, improve his production both in quantity and quality, minimize the impact of cotton farming on natural resources and, ultimately, add value to his products, both within and outside the national borders.

“The deviation from the advice provided by the gaiasense smart farming system imposes an average burden of +4.21€ per acre on producers. For example, cotton farmers spend 21% more money on fertilization than they would have spent if they had followed the advice,” concluded Mr. Mavroudis, demonstrating the urgent need for the immediate implementation of smart farming in the field, especially in the face of the challenge of climate change and the ever-increasing costs affecting the primary sector.

The 3rd Panhellenic Congress on Cotton was also attended by representatives of the political leadership, institutional bodies, entrepreneurs and the majority of the cotton growing and processing industry.