A pioneering project for the Greek olive growing industry took place on Friday 10 March with the official establishment of the Terra Creta Olive Academy at the Terra Creta premises in Kolymbari, Chania, Crete. The ceremony was attended by Nikos Kalogeris, Deputy Regional Governor of Chania, Yannis Malandrakis, Mayor of Platanias, Antonis Rokakis, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Chania, Panagiotis Hatzinikolaou, CEO of ELGO Demetra, as well as a number of partners and producers.

The Terra Creta Olive Academy, which is a member of the MELISSA KIKIZAS group, marks the evolution of the “Producers’ Group” that Terra Creta has been creating for years and is now organized according to the standards of the Melissa Kikiza Wheat Academy, which has been operating since 2012.

The goal of the Terra Creta Olive Academy is to upgrade olive production through the provision of theoretical and practical knowledge to farmers, as well as through the use of integrated digital crop monitoring and smart farming agricultural warning systems – specifically, the NEUROPUBLIC gaiasense system, which is now being implemented on 1,400 acres producing the award-winning olive oil.

Great emphasis will be placed on the use of good agricultural practices that aim to reduce the environmental footprint of the crop, while the company’s agronomists will be constantly present next to the producers in order to offer personalized advice on the spot.

The Terra Creta Olive Academy also offers its member producers a Contract Farming Program, providing them with, among other things, a minimum guaranteed price to ensure the sustainability of the crop even in difficult years, as well as a price bonus for the production of high quality olive oil.

The CEO of MELISSA KIKIZAS, Mr. Alexandros Kikizas, said, “We are proud to announce today the establishment of the Terra Creta Olive Academy! We would like to thank the farmers and educational institutions that have so warmly embraced this new venture. Our common love for this blessed fruit unites everyone involved in this project. Our vision is to contribute to the quality and quantity upgrading of the production of Greek extra virgin olive oil, in order to achieve the position it deserves on the international map“.

It is worth noting that NEUROPUBLIC will actively participate in the training of the Academy members on issues related to intelligent agriculture and its application in olive cultivation.