Beekeeping products presented by a group of producers from both sides of the Nistru river at the Apimell Exhibition from Italy have pleasantly surprised the visitors. “Italian producers were impressed by the taste and the perfume of our honey, which was classified by them as an ecological product of high quality. The acacia honey was liked the most, because it has a delicate taste, maintains transparency for a long time and does not get crystalized,” says Natalia Porhun, a beekeeper from Sipka village, left bank of Nistru river.

So, the representatives of the Association of Honey Producers and Processors from Italy concluded a Memorandum of Collaboration with their colleagues from Moldova and asked them to provide a lot of honey to be tested by an international certification institution. If Moldovan honey will meet the European requirements, the collaboration might continue with more long-term contracts for honey delivery to Italy and other European countries.

To honey producers from both sides of the Nistru river initiated a process of association into a production group. They consider that in this way they will be able to produce a bigger volume of honey, but also to apply the best-performing technologies while operating the apiaries.

“We had the opportunity to visit several beekeeping enterprises, to get familiarized with Italian producers’ traditions and innovation and to take over their good practices. For instance, the representatives of Piemonte Mielle enterprise shared with us their experience of associating into a cooperative – very important information for Moldovan beekeepers who act separately and are not always able to defend their interests. Another big player from Italian honey market told us about the equipment for beekeepers, the maintenance methods, and the requirements for transporting industrial apiaries, about the tastes and preferences of honey consumers in Italy,” noted Andrei Ghilan, marketing manager at a beekeeping company from Cazaclia village, Gagauzia region.

“We would like to diversify the export markets for local production, that’s why we help the producers to increase their competitiveness by exploring modern technologies and innovations and promoting efficiently their goods on the foreign market,” stated Maxim Cataranciuc, Project Manager at UNDP Moldova. 

The delegation from the Republic of Moldova has also visited the Honey Tasters’ School, where specialists are trained how to determine honey origin, composition and quality according to its smell, taste, color and tactile sensations. In Italy there are over 50 types of honey. “The demand for ecological honey on the European market is continuously increasing, just like its price, hence we focus more on production of ecological honey of premium class. I think that our beekeepers’ perspectives are encouraging,” mentioned Natalia Porhun. She developed her beekeeping business with honey thanks to a grant offered by the European Union within a project implemented by UNDP.

The “Advanced Cross-River Capacities for Trade” (AdTrade) Project provides methodological and practical assistance to create long-term trade links between the entrepreneurs from both sides of the River Nistru and to build a confidence- and cooperation-based environment in the region. The initiative fosters and promotes exports of goods and services from the region, by accessing the opportunities provided by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. The Project supports the development and increase of competitiveness of micro, small, and medium enterprises and contributes to creating new companies, which implicitly will lead to improving the living conditions of people from both sides of the Nistru river.