LocationsSweet gold business on European Union’s money in Stefan Voda district
September 20, 2017
He started his business from one swarm of bees caught by chance, and now he has dozens of hives next to his house, with profits going up and up. This is the story of Ion Rau, a young man from Talmaza, Stefan Voda district, who created a genuine realm of honey after receiving a grant from the European Union.
From one swarm to dozens of bee families
Ion has always hoped to open a business in his native village and to work at home, with his wife and three children. His dream came true after he had taken part in a grant competition, funded by the European Union through the “Support to Confidence Building Measures” programme, implemented by the UNDP.
With the grant money, over 9,400 euros, he bought a hundred of hives, a honey extractor and other equipment. The apiary that first had only one swarm of bees is now barely recognizable. Dozens of hives, tinted in soft colours, are home to over 130 bee communities – the Rau family’s whirring wealth.
Ion learned how to run his business during the 14 months of personal consultant’s services, which were provided to him within the framework of the project. With the help of this specialist, he also mastered the basic rules of business management. In order to constantly develop his business, he studies relentlessly and finds solutions on the Internet. “I do a lot of self-studies, and the world of bees becomes clearer and clearer to me," says Ion. However, he advises those who want to engage in honey production to go to an apprenticeship and “steal” the knowledge, even if it requires a month or two of volunteering.
“I had tried different businesses, but fully found myself in beekeeping. I really like this job and I have already understood that it is totally worth the time and money," says Ion.
“For us, this business means that we stay at home, along with our children”
In all Ion’s efforts, his wife is next to him, and for several weeks already, since she became immune to bee stings, she is the head of the apiary. For Veronica Rau, this business means first of all a possibility to keep the family together: “We no longer have to think about working abroad. We can work at home. We can see our children growing, and that’s the most important thing.”
Dressed in a special suit and a protective veil, the woman does the work among the beautifully arranged hives. It’s a long way before the honey gets into jars; beekeepers may spend 14 hours a day among their bees. In the summer, more effort is invested, but the work does not end even during the cold season when they have to ensure sufficient food reserves and keep rodents away from the hives.
Everything they get is one hundred percent natural. Honey is extracted several times a year and sold predominantly in Chisinau; Ion’s brother Nicolae helps with the sale.
Now they are improving the extraction room – a special place where honey is collected from honeycombs and put into containers. This is where Nadejda works, the first employee of this family-run apiary.
“We do not have to work elsewhere”
A year after expanding their business, the Rau family has already understood that selling honey can guarantee them a decent life. “Since we have expanded our apiary, we do not have to work elsewhere. We earn enough for our living. It’s a smart business that brings us both profit and fulfilment," says the entrepreneur.
Since things go smoothly, they are thinking about expanding their business, hiring more people or practicing the so-called pastoral beekeeping. That would require transporting hives from one area to another where plants are in bloom. Their other dream is to open a carpenter’s shop next to their house. Thus, in winter, when there is less work at the apiary, they could craft hives for their household and for sale.
The spouses are confident that their business is long-lasting because honey consumption is growing steadily, especially in the cities. To estimate how will be the year, they don’t have to wait until autumn, but only until the first honey extraction, when the sweet gold reaches the jars and is transported to markets and shops.
Ion Rau is one of over 70 young persons from both banks of the Nistru River who have obtained European grants of up to 13,500 euros for establishing or developing businesses. According to Ion, one of the benefits of this project is the fact that he had a chance to meet other young entrepreneurs with similar businesses, including from the left bank of the Nistru River.
“Natalia Porhun’s experience impressed me. She runs a honey business on the left bank and, among others, has a less common bee breed. In time, I would like to buy some families from her and bring them to Stefan Voda”, says Ion Rau.
The EU-funded program “Support to Confidence Building Measures”, implemented by the UNDP, contributes to the consolidation of trust between the residents of both banks of the Nistru River through the involvement of representatives of business community, civil society and local authorities in joint business and social infrastructure development projects.