Moldovan honey exports
Beekeeping is one of the few livestock sectors in Moldova with a pronounced export orientation. Among other things – infrastructure of external supplies and foreign exchange earnings – this also means more or less objective official accounting of commodity flows, as well as quality control of products.
In 2025, Moldova has reached record honey exports – more than 4.5 thousand tons. This is even slightly higher than the (also record) exports for 2024 – 4.2 thousand tons. In the first quarter of this year, the rate of external honey supplies was also high, but from this month, according to market operators, it will slow down sharply due to the reduction of commercial honey resources of Moldovan traders and beekeepers.
“From January to date, about 1.3 thousand tons of honey have been exported from Moldova – this is almost 22% of last year’s figure, Agroexpert quoted Vitaliy Popa as saying. – According to the data from January to July last year, that is – for the period before the first acacia honey harvest-2025, almost 2.5 thousand tons of honey from the harvest of previous years were exported from the country. This year we are unlikely to reach last year’s figures for this period in the next two months, because there is not much commercial honey from last year’s honey harvest left on the domestic market”.
According to the estimation of representatives of the National Association of Beekeepers of Moldova ANARM, stocks of honey of last year’s harvest in the country amount to a maximum of 1 thousand tons. Moreover, not all of this product can be considered as a commodity resource, because in the warehouses there is a certain share of honey that does not meet the quality standards for the level of residual content of undesirable substances (pesticides, antibiotics, etc.). Consequently, not all of last year’s remaining honey will be exported, even if it is highly diluted – as part of a blend with high-quality honey.
Meanwhile, in the European Union, where about 80% of Moldovan commercial honey intended for external deliveries is exported annually, the price for imported honey is gradually increasing this spring. In particular, as exporters claim, the wholesale price for Moldovan honey for the previous months has increased by 0.05-0.07 euros/kg – up to 2.80-2.85 euros/kg on average. This is significantly lower than the price of, for example, Ukrainian honey.
Vitaliy Popa believes that there are great chances for further increase of prices for Moldovan export honey. But only if it will be of competitive quality compared to the honey offered on the EU market by its suppliers from Ukraine, China and Argentina (entering the European market in a preferential regime under the EU-Mercosur agreement).
In general, it can be assumed that the current increase in demand and prices for honey in the European Union will be short-term – until the arrival of new crop products from the Northern Hemisphere countries to the European market. That is, until mid-summer. Then the market situation can swing in any direction.
Moldovan honey production
There is no exact official data on this subject, there are only estimates of industry associations. In particular, according to ANARM calculations, in 2025 the production of commercial honey will amount to a maximum of 2.5 thousand tons. This is one and a half to two times less compared to the estimated figures for the previous few seasons. And it was the lowest honey harvest for the last 15-20 years. This year, Moldovan beekeeping operators hope that the situation will improve.
However, the grounds for forecasting the growth of honey production in the country are not very reliable yet. Thus, the overwintering was not easy – the losses of bee families are estimated by experts at 20-30%. In conditions of relatively cool, and occasionally wet and windy weather, bee families weakened after overwintering needed carbohydrate and protein feeding until the last days of April. Not all beekeepers had enough money for this.
What next?
The first “industrial” honey harvest – from flowering rape plantations – will probably start in Moldova next week. If weather conditions are favorable and agricultural producers have time to sanitize rapeseed fields in advance.
This year honey collection from acacia will start later than usual – in the last decade of May. Most likely – already after the honey collection from rape. It is difficult to judge what it will be like – according to the first impression of farmers, not bad (last year there was no honey collection from Acacia at all). It is too early to make forecasts for summer honey collection.
