A specialized training program for expert agricultural consultants was recently organized at Ondokuz Mayıs University's (OMU) Faculty of Agriculture. The event was part of the "FASTool EU Farm Advisory System Expert Agricultural Consultants Blended Training Program Development Project."

The workshop, which began at the Faculty's DOKAP Agricultural Entrepreneurship Pre-Incubation Center and was initially conducted online, aimed to enhance the professional development of agricultural consultants and share knowledge on agricultural productivity and sustainability.

The program, inaugurated by Dr. Bülent Kahraman Çolakoğlu, Director of the Education and Publication Department, continued with the introduction of training content. The event saw the participation of 389 individuals, with new topics being added to the program's content.

Speakers on the first day included Prof. Dr. Kürşat Demiryürek from OMU Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. J.M Diaz from Madrid Technical University, and researcher Christin Fritz from the Vienna Raumberg Gumpenstein Science Center. Topics discussed encompassed Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Accelerating Rural Development, and Environmentally Friendly Transformation of Farms.

The second day of the program continued with face-to-face training. Nurettin Açıkgöz, Coordinator of the EYDB Agricultural Advisory Services Working Group, provided insights into the Current Status and Challenges of the Agricultural Advisory System in Türkiye. Subsequently, discussions and survey results were examined regarding the Professional Profile of Expert Agricultural Consultants. Participants openly shared their opinions in a discussion moderated by Bülent Sezer at the Agricultural Training Center. The event focused on blended training curricula, the achievements of agricultural consultants, training materials (projection, lecture notes, presentations, videos, web resources), and application methods.

In the final part of the training program, project coordinator Nimet Kaleli led a discussion on policy and reform suggestions for developing the advisory system in Türkiye. Participants presented the challenges they faced in the field of agricultural consultancy and their suggestions for reform.

The program concluded after two days of intensive and interactive discussions, with the distribution of participation certificates to the attendees.