After years abroad, a man from Râșcani built a 400 pig farm in his home village
Money earned abroad helped launch a village business. After years of working overseas, Ion Baciu from Corlăteni, Râșcani district, returned home and invested in a pig farm and a small butcher shop in his native village. His farm now has 400 pigs.
Using money earned in Russia and bank loans, Ion Baciu bought the farm in 2017. He says running the business remains a constant challenge.
"The biggest expenses are medicines, which are very expensive here in Moldova. Another major problem is that we have no control over the price of our meat. Prices are low and unstable. One of our biggest challenges is the lack of price stability in Moldova's market because imported meat enters the country," says Ion Baciu.
Another challenge is African swine fever. An outbreak nearby can halt animal sales and transport. Ion Baciu says his farm has faced difficult periods due to quarantine restrictions. To reduce risks, the Baciu family integrated the entire process, from raising and slaughtering pigs to selling the meat. Today, their shop in Corlăteni has become an important source of meat for local residents.
"The pigs are slaughtered at a licensed facility and transported in authorized refrigerated vehicles. We do the meat cutting here. People in the village know us well and trust that the meat comes from my farm," says the entrepreneur.
"It's very convenient because we don't need to travel to Bălți. We can buy everything right here in the village."
"The meat comes directly from the producer and is natural. Before they opened the shop, we had to travel 30 kilometres to Râșcani, but now people come here instead."
The growth of the farm and butcher shop has also created new jobs. The business now employs six full time workers and several seasonal employees. The family plans to build its own slaughterhouse, set up a meat processing facility, and eventually open additional retail outlets.
