Moldova now has only one third of the bees possessed in the 1980s. There are 150,000 bee families at a time when 450,000-500,000 bee colonies are needed for the efficient pollination of crops and flowers, said the chairmen of the Association of Beekeepers of Moldova Stefan Condratiuc. The expert was contacted by IPN after BBC reported that Europe faces a serious shortage of bees, while in Moldova the situation is worse than in England, where the bees represent only one fourth of the number needed for pollination.

“In the 1980s, in Moldova there were about 400,000 bee families. Then, every collective farmstead had to meet a norm for ensuring efficient pollination. By the end of the 1990s, the number of bees in Moldova decreased dramatically, to 80,000. In 2005, we started to sound the alarm. There were launched programs to support beekeeping and the number of bee colonies almost doubled,” stated Stefan Condratiuc.

He added that the situation is gradually remedied. There appear more young beekeepers who are supported by the Association and urged to export honey to the EU. But the authorities do no appropriately support the sector, while the subsidization programs are difficult for the people.

The BBC said the bee populations had diminished in a number of states because of disease and use of pesticides. The number of bees in Europe rose by 7% in five years, but the areas of fields sowed with rape and sunflower seeds, which need intense pollination, were extended. According to scientists, the shortage of bees in Europe totals about 13 million families.