ECONOMY > MOLDOVA
Moldovan honey conquering the EU market
Honey is one of the few Moldovan products that is steadily www.enpi-info.eu increasing its share of the European market. The country produces around 4-5,000 tons of honey annually. Experts are convinced that within a short period Moldova can at least double its honey production and exports. An EU Neighborhood Info Centre journalist visited a Moldovan company planning to export no less than 100 tons of best quality honey to Europe within four years. This was made possible thanks to the EU-funded EAST Invest programme, which supports small and medium size enterprises not only to find partners, but also to learn about requirements, opportunities, conditions on European markets. Here is his report. Text by Dmitri Kalak Pictures by AFP © EU Neighbourhood INFO CENTRE
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CHISINAU - “Just a couple of years ago, I couldn’t have dreamt about exporting to Europe…” Ion Cosneanu owns a small family business in the Moldovan town of Orhei. This year, his company Roxinform Grup exported 21 tons of honey to France for the first time. The businessman also delivers small consignments of honey to Britain, and has a provisional export agreement with Italy. He is also planning to sell in other European countries, prominently Germany and Scandinavia. In three or four years he intends to export no less than 100 tons of best quality honey into Europe. “The opportunity to get my honey onto the European market was opened up by EAST Invest, the programme facilitating regional trade. It helped us not only to find partners in France, but also to learn about the requirements imposed on the products, export conditions and opportunities to promote our product abroad.” EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Feature no. 112
Attractiveness in quality, not in quantity
Ion’s partner in France is Naturalim France, one of the largest honey producers in Europe. It imports honey from China, Latin America and other regions. Export from Moldova cannot rival other vendors in terms of quantity. However, according to French experts, the attrac-
This is a series of features on projects funded by the EU Regional Programme, prepared by journalists and photographers on the ground or the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre. © 2013 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Feature no. 112
N This year the company Roxinform Grup has exported 21 tons of honey to France for the first time.
“Thanks to the programme we got acquainted with some aspects of customs clearing, exports logistics, as well as the specifics of working in foreign markets”
Moldovan honey conquering the EU market
tiveness of Moldovan honey lies in its quality. “In January or February 2014, I am planning to go to France, talk to the customers and learn more about their plans and requirements,” Ion Cosneanu says. “There, we are going to agree on the list of equipment, which we want to purchase in order to improve the technology of honey production. We would like to consider all the details, so that there can be no complaints whatsoever about our product.” The state reimburses the farmers 30% of equipment cost, plus 10% more if the farmer is younger than 30. Ion Cosneanu falls under this category. At present, he is sending honey to France in 300kg containers, which were specially purchased in Hungary to meet EU standards. In future, the young businessman wants to arrange the honey to be packed specifically for the European market. Ion has already registered a specific brand, which will be used for all his company’s products. Honey is one of the few Moldovan products, which is steadily increasing its share of the European market. The country produces around 4-5,000 tons of honey annually. Out of that, 1,500-2,000 thousand tons is exported, mainly to European countries. But experts are convinced that within a short period Moldova can at least double its honey production and exports. Development of the industry was previously hampered by the absence of end market, by out-of-date technologies and by poor facilities. Due to the EAST Invest project, the situation has been improving dramatically. Inga Leontean, member of Moldovan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says that they are planning to send several Moldovan beekeepers to France in summer 2014, so that they can familiarize themselves with the practices of French beekeepers and study the technologies of honey processing during the period when honey is collected.
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“The programme helped us not only to find partners in France, but also to learn about the requirements imposed on the products, export conditions and opportunities to promote our product abroad”.
Product promotion and production organisation The EU-funded EAST Invest programme was launched in early 2011 on the initiative of Eurochambrеs. They are introducing it through 84 partners from EU countries, the Eastern Partnership and Turkey. In Moldova, the partner is the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mihai Bilba, its Director of Foreign Economic Relations, sees the main aim of the programme in supporting small and medium-sized business, in attracting investments and developing cooperation with European partners. “We have conducted many seminars for Moldovan businessmen under the EAST Invest programme,” Bilba says. Through this programme, dozens of representatives from Moldovan businesssupport organisations participated in sessions of the EAST Invest Academy on international trade and export promotion. They were held in Ukraine, France, Belgium and Moldova. Valuable experience was also gained through participation in specialised exhibitions in Italy, Spain and other EU countries. Ludmila Rotaru, one of the project managers in Moldova, emphasizes a special feature of the EAST Invest programme: “It is designed to support particular businesses and, at the same time, to promote the common interests of exporters. At the seminars held under the programme, we help entrepreneurs master European practices of product promotion, quality control and production organization.”
N The company is sending honey to France through containers.
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – Feature no. 112
Moldovan honey conquering the EU market
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More products on the way to Europe
N The opportunity to get the honey onto the European market was opened up by EAST Invest, the programme facilitating regional trade.
The Metar-Grup company was established in 2007 and is engaged in manufacturing construction blends and aqueous dispersions. So far, the products have only been sold in the domestic market. “Under the EAST Invest programme, we took part in the seminar for exporters,” says Adrian Tataru, quality and technology manager at the enterprise. “We got acquainted with some aspects of customs clearing, exports logistics, as well as the specifics of working in foreign markets. The next stage involved the trip to Construmat exhibition in Barcelona in May 2013. From there, I brought back numerous ideas on developing the enterprise and new contacts with foreign partners. Now, we are going to arrange exports of products.” Another small enterprise from Mereni village, Mercomez-Lux, is engaged in meat processing. Various products under its brand are sold in five specialized shops. “After taking part in the EAST Invest seminar, together with experts from the Eastern Partnership countries, and the trip to Turin in October 2012, we revised a large part of our work,” says Lilia Baciu, director of Mercomez-Lux. “With the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we have introduced modern quality control systems ISO-22000 and ISO-9001; we started using spices and recipes borrowed from our German partners and developed a new production line of European groceries. I am sure that with these products we will soon break into the EU market.”
“Just a couple of years ago, I couldn’t have dreamt about exporting to Europe… Now it is a reality”
East- Invest - Support to SME sector http://www.east-invest.eu/ Supports the economic development and facilitates regional trade through contributing to the improvement of the business environment, with an emphasis on SMEs and networking Participating countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Timeframe 2010–2013 Budget €7 million
Objectives The project aims to support the economic development of the region and the improvement of its business environment through building up networks between the Eastern partners themselves and between them and the EU, in priority sectors, and by developing mechanisms to encourage the flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). East-Invest also supports Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) in their internationalisation process, improves their networking and facilitates their trade development. To find out more Project website www.east-invest.eu/en/about-east-invest EU Neighbourhood Info Centre – EAST INVEST project fiche www.enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=315&id_type=10 EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Thematic portal: ECONOMY www.enpi-info.eu/themeeast.php?subject=4
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. The project is managed by Action Global Communications.
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