Strategic Transformation Initiative in Balıkesir Agriculture and Livestock Farming through University-Public Partnership
The ‘Agriculture and Livestock Sector Strategic Transformation Programme Cooperation Protocol’, prepared with the aim of strengthening Balıkesir's potential in the fields of agriculture and livestock farming on scientific grounds, was signed under the chairmanship of Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu.
In addition to Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu, Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu and Balıkesir Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Hüseyin Düzgün also signed the protocol. Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Satıl and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Dean Prof. Dr. Ziya İlhan also attended the protocol signing ceremony at the governor's office.
Through this cooperation, the current state of Balıkesir's agriculture and livestock sectors will be comprehensively addressed, with the aim of increasing sectoral resilience in the context of climate change and the digitalising world.
Under the protocol, it is intended to conduct analyses based on scientific data, create a sustainable and feasible roadmap, and organise activities to be implemented in this direction. In this context, strategic panels and conferences bringing together sector stakeholders, academics, and decision-makers will be organised. Priority topics such as animal diseases, breeding studies, and the effects of drought on agriculture and livestock will be addressed in solution-oriented meetings. Furthermore, data obtained from field studies and academic research will be shared with the public under the title ‘Balıkesir Agriculture and Livestock Report’.
The programme, prepared in line with the vision of ‘From Soil to Future: Strategic Steps in Agriculture and Animal Production’, includes the following areas of work to be carried out:
- Cattle, sheep and goat farming, along with beekeeping and aquaculture
- Plant and animal production, value-added products and branding
- Technology, Agriculture 4.0, digitalisation and innovation in agriculture and animal husbandry
- Environmental protection, sustainable use of natural resources and climate-sensitive practices
- Support for rural development and socio-economic development
- Other strategic areas to be determined by the Commission
The signed protocol aims to make a significant contribution to a long-term, sustainable and science-based transformation process in the field of agriculture and livestock farming in Balıkesir.
