Catalogue of winter agriculture courses in Formentera

During the months of October and November the Office of Agriculture, Stock-breeding, Fish and Hunting will offer a wide array of free educational courses to the island's farming and stock-breeding sectors.

With the selection of available classes, residents can learn about plagues and diseases that affect citrus and other fruit trees; techniques in pruning – a repeat course due to the positive reception of last year's edition –; basic knowledge of plagues and diseases affecting grapes; basic notions of bee-keeping and, finally, a course about comprehensive pest-control options for the becut vermell beetle that affects palm trees. The principle objective of this last course – offered for the first time this year – is to raise public awareness regarding the plague of this insect currently affecting our island.

The entire selection of training courses, each between 10 and 20 hours in length, is free. They will be structured into two parts: theoretical and practical, and are to be staged at the Centre Antoni Tur “Gabrielet”. Any interested individuals can sign up at the Citizen Information Office (or OAC, its acronym in Catalan) from 9 am to 2 pm, request further information by phoning the Formentera Council's Office of Agriculture at 971.321.087, extension 3, or send an email to agricultura@conselldeformentera.cat.

October Course Catalogue
Course on comprehensive pest-control options for the palm tree beetle (becut vermell)
Course length: 20 hours
Start date: 25/10/2013 – 26/10/2013 and 1/11/2013 – 2/11/2013
Professor: Juan Argente
This course will open the 2013 catalogue of autumn courses. Its objective will be a discovery of the issues surrounding the becut vermell beetle plague and an imparting of specific educational tools for palm tree owners and sector professionals alike. The course will go over the characteristics of this specific plague as well as those of the host, the symptomatology and the comprehensive systems that we have at our disposal to prevent and combat this 'quarantine pest'.

November Course Catalogue
Course on plagues and diseases affecting citrus and other fruit trees
Course length: 15 hours
Start date: 08/11/2013 – 09/11/2013
Professor: Joan Rallo
The objective of the course on plagues and diseases affecting citrus and other fruit trees will be a thorough look at the fundamentals of the combat of plagues, diseases and other abiotic phenomena that can be found on fruit tree groves. It will also deal with some of the scientific and technical fundamentals that come into play with this subject and discuss the accumulated experience that has proportioned us with a certain repertory of defences and techniques in the care and cultivation of the different plant species and varieties grown in Formentera.

Bee-keeping course
Course length: 15 hours
Start date: 15/11/2013 – 16/11/2013
Professors: Esteve Mirangels and Alicia Ferrer
The bee-keeping course will lead bee-keepers through an updating/complementing of their knowledge-base, be this technical or practical in nature. It will attempt to provide the necessary tools to developing sustainable apiculture.

15 hours long, the course is intended for all those bee-keepers (whether employed on local farms or by larger companies that process apiculture byproducts) wishing to acquire knowledge about bee-handling and the application of health and sanitary measures in disease prevention and treatment.

Course on fruit tree pruning
Course length: 20 hours
Start date: 22/11/2013 – 23/11/2013
Professor: Joan Rallo
The course on grapevine, fruit and fig tree pruning has as its objective a discovery of the basics of fruit farming on the island of Formentera. It will also take a look at the scientific and technical fundamentals, as well as the accumulated experience we now possess with regard to different techniques in care and cultivation of these woody plants.

Course on plagues and diseases affecting grapevines
Course length: 15 hours
Start date: 29/11/2013 – 30/11/2013
Professor: Joan Rallo
The goal of the course on plagues and diseases affecting grapevines is a thorough look at the basics of the modern combat on plagues, diseases and other abiotic phenomena that affect the vineyard production. It will also take a look at the scientific and technical fundamentals, as well as the accumulated experience we now possess with regard to different techniques in care and cultivation of the different Formentera plant varieties.

Food and drink dégustation: sobrassada
Course length: 10 hours
Start date: T.B.A.
This course's goal will be a familiarisation with the basics of sobrassada dégustation, permitting an evaluation of the food's positive characteristics and its most common shortcomings.

All of these training opportunities aim to respond to some of the basic educational needs of agricultural workers, in addition to satisfying the need for training affecting workers employed in the other rural sectors. It is a strategy of the local administration to provide Formentera residents with tools towards self-employment, promoting exploitation of the many derelict land parcels on the island.

These courses have received funding from FOGAIBA in the amount of 11,000€.