3rd Workshop Meeting of the BALNIMALCON Network

An initiative of Animal Production scientists to stimulate the progress of research and collaboration in the South-Eastern European countries

At 10th, 11th and 12th of February took place in Thessaloniki – GREECE, the 3rd Meeting of the BALNIMALCON Network, having members from Universities and Research Institutions of Animal Production from the South-Eastern European countries.

The meeting has been organized under the supervision of Andreas Georgoudis, Professor of the Department of Animal Production in the faculty of Agriculture of the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and Dr. Christina Ligda, researcher of the Greek Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF) and has been supported by the Greek Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace.  HELEXPO (the Greek International Exhibitions Organization) was a co organizer of the workshop on “Animal Production and Environment”, that was held in the frame of the BALNIMALCON meeting, and the Holstein Association of Hellas offered the secretarial and administrative supporting services.

The 55 participants of the meeting came from  Universities and Research Institutions as well as from professional farmers organizations from Greece,Cyprus, Bulgaria, Rumania, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Turkey covering all the main fields of Animal Production.

During the first day of the meeting (Saturday 10th of February) the participants visited the International Fair ZOOTECHNIA 2007 on Livestock Production, and joined the seminar of the Holstein Association of Greece on “Modern Integrated Services for the Effective Management of Dairy Farms”, organized in collaboration with the Holland NRS – IRIS organization.

At Sunday 11th of February the participants took part in the workshop on “Animal Production and Environment”, where invited speakers from Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus and Romania, presented aspects of the impact of Animal Production on environment and the relevant legislation introduced by the EU countries in order to regulate the distances between livestock production units and residential or protected environmentally sensitive areas (bird sanctuaries, water tanks etc). This subject is of utmost importance for the future of the Animal Production in the area, considering the fact that the majority of livestock production units face severe problems with licensing and operation because of land- planning and environmental regulations.

The rest of the meeting until Monday evening (12th of February) has been devoted to the presentation of original research projects and a round table discussion on the future of the research in the area, as well as  the up to now progress of the network and the planning of the next actions.  Among others, it was decided that the next Meeting of the BALNIMALCON network will be organized by the University of  Stara Zagora - Bulgaria, in Spring 2009.

The BALNIMALCON Network, was launched about 7 years ago.  Between the Universities and the Research Institutions of the South – Eastern European countries, are already established links for cooperation on the institutional level.  However because of bureaucratic and financial constrains the achieved advancement is very slow without significant impact on the collaboration between the scientists of the Universities and the Research Institutions of the area.  The message of the BALNIMALCON network is to exploit all the modern means of communication, the personal links and abilities and resources of its members in order to boost activities related to forming of work groups and applying for common research projects, promoting mutual interests etc.

The network is self financed, however a setoff action for fund raising has been discussed and approved including the acceptance of financial from private fund holders, taking into consideration the possibilities to improve the productivity of the members and exploiting their available resources in common.

The BALNIMALCON network would like to express its gratitude to the Greek Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace, the HELEXPO and to the Holstein Association of Greece, as well as to all the participants and the people contributed to the organization of the meeting. Furthermore the members of the network are in the disposal of anyone interested for further information regarding its activities and the possibilities of cooperation.

Prof. Andreas Georgoudis – Greece

Prof. Ihsan Soysal - Turkey