The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is developing different proposals this week with the aim of bringing its work and facilities closer to the Andalusian population. Coinciding with Open Administration Week, which is celebrated from May 18 to 24, this department of the Junta de Andalucía is offering free training actions for professionals as well as activities aimed at schoolchildren and the general public.
Among the initiatives, the Junta emphasizes in an informative note the open house organized to introduce the Advanced Water Management Center of Andalusia to all those who wish to discover firsthand how it operates. The Secretary General for Water, Ramiro Angulo, has actively participated in this activity, which includes, on the one hand, guided tours of the facilities by five experts; and, on the other hand, an informative talk on the main functions carried out in this public building.
During the tour, the technical staff of the Ministry has been answering the attendees' questions and has shown how to use various interactive tools created within the framework of the Advanced Water Management Center of Andalusia. As Ramiro Angulo has pointed out, the work carried out in these facilities located in Seville "plays a fundamental role in the Andalusian Government's commitment to the digitalization of processes and information in the water sector".
"The Advanced Water Management Center of Andalusia makes it possible to advance in both the protection and recovery of water bodies and in the sustainable, efficient and responsible use of this resource, which is necessary for human consumption and for the development of basic economic activities for the region's economy," he remarked. As the Secretary General explained in his speech, this center collects a large amount of data related to drought and water scarcity situations, as well as the impact of floods. "And these records allow the Administration to have objective information of great utility for its use in public awareness campaigns on the importance of improving Andalusia's water resilience," stated Angulo.
Training and visits to Ifapa centers in five provinces
In parallel, the Andalusian Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production (Ifapa) has launched training actions this week for professionals in the field and guided tours for students at centers located in five provinces (Cádiz, Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, and Almería). In Cádiz, the Ifapa facilities in Jerez, 'Rancho de la Merced', are hosting two courses dedicated to the application of phytosanitary products and the intensive management of cattle.
This same center has a space in Chipiona where training on agricultural associations and marketing is being provided these days. In turn, Ifapa 'El Toruño', in El Puerto de Santa María, has organized an open day with a guided tour of its facilities, where research and technological transfer projects related to aquaculture and the marine environment are being developed. In the province of Seville, groups of students from different schools have toured the facilities of the 'Las Torres' center in Alcalá del Río.
The Ifapa technical team has explained to them the main pests and diseases affecting citrus fruits and how they can be effectively prevented and controlled using integrated management techniques, in order to optimize production, ensure the sustainability of the agricultural system, and reduce both environmental impact and health risks associated with the use of chemical products. At the Campanillas center (Málaga), students from various institutes have been received in another open day, which has included visits to experimental farms and greenhouses.
In addition, attendees have participated in different workshops designed by the specialists of this Ifapa. In Córdoba, the institute has organized a guided tour of its headquarters in Palma del Río, where professionals from the agri-food sector have been able to learn firsthand about the area dedicated to the processing of vegetables for the production of preserves.
Lastly, students from educational centers in Almería have attended this week the Ifapa of La Mojonera, where they have delved into the diversification of greenhouse crops, with special attention to exotic species such as passion fruit and dragon fruit, as well as woody crops such as the fig tree. Likewise, the participants from Almería have taken part in a specific workshop on biological pest control, aimed at recognizing beneficial organisms and natural enemies used in agricultural holdings for the protection of vegetables.