About 30 Moldovan beekeepers received by 80 vertical beehives that enable to increase the quantity and quality of produced honey. These were purchased within the USAID High Value Agriculture Project in Moldova that is financed by the U.S. The ceremony to hand over the certificates to beneficiaries was held at the apiary of a beekeeper from Bardar village of Ialoveni district on April 25, IPN reports.

The vertical beehives were provided in a move to give an example to other honey producers. International experience shows the use of vertical beehives enables to extend the business by increasing the number of bee families and the quantity and quality of produced honey. In the event, it was announced that 400 beekeepers will be trained to efficiently manage vertical hives.

USAID Moldova Mission Director Karen Hilliard said the provided assistance is designed to help the beekeepers in Moldova to switch over to a new stage in their activity, from hobby to business. The enhancement of the efficiency of beekeepers will bring benefits to the communities where these live.

Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Alisa Parlog said the beekeepers in Moldova often use equipment and technologies transmitted by the previous generations, which make beekeeping be of subsistence, not centered on productivity. 15% of the quantity of honey produced in Moldova is consumed at domestic level, while 85% is exported.

According to statistics, there are about 6,000 beepers in Moldova. These manage about 200,000 bee families. Almost 5,000 tonnes of honey were produced in Moldova in 2017 and 85% of these were exported to Romania, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and other states.