---
title: "Moldova beekeepers secure IFAD funding to expand output "
url: https://moldova1.md/p/84847/moldova-beekeepers-secure-ifad-funding-to-expand-output
published: 2026-09-08T06:00:00Z
language: en
author: "Nicoleta Borodin"
section: "Economic"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldova beekeepers secure IFAD funding to expand output 

> Moldovan beekeepers are expanding production and entering export markets with low-interest loans and development grants provided by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), officials announced on Monday.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/a8d93d41-b2af-46e8-ae4a-fbc968f23c0c.jpg)

Moldovan beekeepers are expanding production and entering export markets with low-interest loans and development grants provided by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), officials announced on Monday.

The targeted financing packages have operated in the country since 2011, shifting local apiaries toward high-value apiculture and commercial processing. Between 2017 and 2024, under the IFAD VII and IFAD VIII programmes, 152 beekeeping businesses received financial backing, with women and young entrepreneurs accounting for 70% of recipients.

**Doubling national honey output**

Long-term investment has fundamentally restructured the industry over the past decade. The sector's national output rose from approximately 2,600 tonnes annually in 2011 to around 5,800 tonnes at present.

*“The history of working with the beekeeping sector through IFAD programmes began back in 2011–2012, when several agricultural producer groups were established,”* said Iurie Ușurelu, director of the Consolidated Programme Implementation Unit (CPIU IFAD), in an interview with Radio Moldova. *“As a result of financial and non-financial interventions, the first two major enterprises for honey collection, processing, and export emerged in the Republic of Moldova.”*

**Tailored loans for apiary expansion and processing**

Financing packages cover the entire production cycle, from purchasing modern hives, bee colonies, and certified queens to installing industrial honey extraction lines. Funds are disbursed through local partner commercial banks via concessional credit lines and grant-loan facilities.

Small and micro-enterprises can access loans of up to €0.10 million (approx. 2 million MDL), while dedicated processing and packaging facilities can secure up to €0.15 million (approx. 2.9 million MDL) in equivalent national currency. The loan facility offers repayment terms of up to four years at an annual interest rate of 7.9%.

Alongside direct financing, beneficiaries receive non-reimbursable business guidance to ensure commercial sustainability. *“We also provide free consultancy, ranging from drafting business plans to financial guidance,”* Ușurelu noted. *“This is essential for those who want to launch or scale up their business.”*

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**
***
**RELATED COVERAGE**

* [Moldova's honey exports grow significantly in 2024](https://moldova1.md/p/44458/moldova-s-honey-exports-grow-significantly-in-2024)
* [Beekeepers: This year's harvest could have been better with rain](https://moldova1.md/p/83372/beekeepers-this-year-s-harvest-could-have-been-better-with-rain)
* [Honey from the Republic of Moldova meets standards: about 80% reaches European markets](https://moldova1.md/p/47229)
* [Honey price in Moldova hit its lowest level in 20 years](https://moldova1.md/p/51075/honey-price-in-moldova-hit-its-lowest-level-in-20-years)
* [Honey Production Soars in Moldova: Forests Open to Beehives](https://moldova1.md/p/29069/honey-production-soars-in-moldova-forests-open-to-beehives)