Romanian honey producer Apidava, one of the main such companies in Romania, sells half of its production to export, with its biggest client coming from Japan, where honey is used as a raw material for cosmetics, said Victor Mates, manager and founder of the company.

The Japanese company Yamada Apiculture Center buys honey in bulk from the Romanian producer, with quantities ranging from 50 to 250 tonnes, out of a total production of 1,000 tonnes a year. “We don't have a contract with them and it is the only client which pays in advance,” said Mates.

The Romanian producer has also recently exported ecological honey to China, for a network of eco stores, a contract of EUR 50,000, said Mates.

Apidava, with a yearly turnover exceeding EUR 4 million, has seen an increase in demand for the Romanian honey abroad, where it sells mostly in bulk. In 2009, it sold only 30 percent of its production abroad, while exports reached half of the production last year.

For the Romanian market, the company sells packaged products under several brands, the best known being Roua Florilor. It also produces under various private labels for retailers like Metro, Selgros, Billa. Private labels cover around 30 percent of the company's activity, according to Mates.

Apidava works with 35 staff  in a factory located in Blaj, Alba county. It was established in 1992 as a family business by Victor Mates, who was passioned about beekeeping.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com

(photo credits: Corina Saceanu/Romania-Insider.com)