Agra-Ost

Agra-Ost is a non-profit association controlled exclusively by a board of directors farmers located in the Walloon Region (Belgium). In 2002, it counted 450 members.
Agra-Ost acts as an Agricultural Advisory service and Research center for the East of Belgium.

These objectives are multiple :

• maintenance of the permanent meadow in a good state for a production of quality;
• valorization of the effluents of breeding, mainly of liquid manure;
• composting of the organic waste produced by the exploitations;
• maintenance of a rural environment of quality, for example by the maintenance of the hedges.

but also:

• to inform the stockbreeders as for their responsibilities on the level of the consequences for their activities on the environment;
• to inform the population starting from the precise and local data as for the real risks related to the agricultural activities;
• to defend the public image of the stockbreeders, managers on the one hand significant of the quality of the medium of life;
• installation of tools of decision-making aid as regards management of manures of farm within the farm (FertiMO software).

To carry out these objectives, the Agra-Ost team animates CETA (Center of Study and Agricultural Technique), Co-organizes and takes part in the principal agricultural fairs in door-open Wallonia and days and popularizes her assets through the drafting of articles in the professional press.

Information:

Agra Ost asbl Klosterstr. 38 4780 ST VITH Belgique Tel : +32 (0)80/22 78 96 Fax : +32 (0)80/22 90 96 URL : http://www.agraost.be courriel : info@agraost.be

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Expectations of Agra-ost

The interest of our group Agra-ost users in GeoTraceAgri lies primarily in the valorization of the high quality fodder productions in identified zones, in particular in zones where the late mowing is largely practised (following the example experiments already undertaken in France by the Comité du foin Grau which obtained an PDO for its hay production : "Hay of Grau" or by the Comité du foin de Mantfavet).

A considerable part of the income of the Agra-ost owner comes from the livestock production. The fodder productions play a dominating role in the animal feeds, in particular that of the ruminants. Also, the geographical traceability (as defined by the GeoTraceAgri project) their fodder productions will get to its customers an additional guarantee and will thus allow him to develop its animal markets.

The traditional traceability of the animal market at the European level and in particular at the Belgian level are already very well organized. Agra-ost does not wish to stay still and wishes to anticipate to the - very probable - future European directives by organizing, on its own level, the traceability upstream of the animal market, i.e. the traceability of the feed production.

At broader point of view, the geographical traceability will enable him to emphasize husbandries, the methods of production of the area while bringing the proof of the respect of agro-environmental standards.

Agra-ost also hopes to use the GeoTraceAgri tool as a farm management tool, as well for yield technicians or for farmer.

Potential Indicators

• biological diversity (floristic and faunistic);
• practical agricultural (precedent, management of spreadings, go back to harvest...);
• climatic conditions during the tedding;
• animal load;
• characteristics of the ground (pH, slope, excès/déficit out of water);
• ecologically significant zones (slope, zone of collecting, proximity of river...)