Formentera offers 4 free courses for island's agrarian and livestock workers

foto vinya a-monteroThe Formentera Council's agriculture office unveiled its 2019 round of continuing development courses in agriculture and livestock. Four modules will take place between January and April; the first, beginners' level pesticides for individuals employed in professional farming, begins January 21.

The first course runs from January 21 to 25 in the afternoon from 4.00pm to 8.00pm, with an exam to check for comprehension on the January 26. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a basic-level "phytosanitary product" handler's card. Registration is open now and can be completed at the OAC (Citizen Information Office) or online via the OVAC.

Reclaiming the countryside
Department head Bartomeu Escandell said the Council's longstanding commitment is about making sure those employed in the island's agriculture and livestock sector have free and local options to continue their learning. “Our course programme is directly shaped by the requests we get from agrarian and livestock workers”, he pointed out, “and is part of the administration's ongoing goal to revive the countryside”.

February 13 comes with a course on identifying and controlling the spread of Formentera's most common crop pests and blights, and on February 20 students can get a mix of textbook-based and hands-on instruction about grafting techniques on fruit trees. Both courses last five hours and go from 3.00pm to 8.00pm.

The last course —12 hours of class time on basic notions in viticulture and wine making— plays out April 3-6. Interested learners can sign up for any one of the courses at the OAC or online on the OVAC. Registration is already open and will close three days before the start of each module.