Exports of honey produced in Moldova increase tenfold in recent years

Chisinau, 16 January /MOLDPRES/ – In recent years, the exports of bee honey produced by beekeepers from Moldova have increased tenfold and reached $14 million annually. Most of the exported honey reaches the EU.

According to economic expert, Veaceslav Ionita, bee honey has never been an export product of Moldova, but the situation has changed with the liberalisation of trade with EU and support from US Government for Moldovan beekeepers. Ionita argues that the Free Trade Agreement with European Union, the support of US Government throughout the Performance Agriculture project and enthusiasm of Moldovan beekeepers have been the three ingredients necessary for the emergence of a new export branch in Moldova: bee honey.

Almost all exported honey reaches EU, and the top five countries provide 75 per cent of the exports of Moldova. Romania, Italy and France consume 2/3 of Moldovan honey destined for exports, wrote Veaceslav Ionita on his blog.

The expert says that the increase in export volumes, as well as the price of honey, can be ensured in upcoming years throughout the transition to the production and certification of organic honey. With the support of the US Farming Programme, our first beekeepers will have them in the summer of 2019, which means there may be a prospect of doubling exports over the next 2 – 3 years.

According to the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA), the Moldovan beekeepers produced about 5,000 tonnes of honey in 2018.