The European Union is the main trading partner of beekeepers in the Republic of Moldova. More than 90% of the honey produced in the country reaches the Community market, the main importing states being Italy, France, Romania, Poland and Germany. At the same time, the EU is one of the most important sources of funding for this sector.
In the last two years, thanks to Livada Moldovei project, supported by the European Union through the European Investment Bank, beekeeping businesses have benefited from loans worth 1.2 million euros, MOLDPRES reports.
Through the Livada Moldovei credit line, worth 120 million euros, beekeepers in Moldova can increase the number of hives, develop processing and packaging units, explore new sales directions.
In 2018, in the Republic of Moldova there were about 165 thousand bee families, which pollinated about 350 thousand hectares of agricultural land (of which 40% were horticultural land). This allowed a 20-30% increase in the harvest, translated into an annual value of beekeeping of over 35 million euros. Currently, over 7,800 beekeepers are registered in Moldova. In 2020, about 3,500 tons of honey were produced, of which 3,300 tons were exported.
