Apiculture - An Opportunity for the Romanian Agri-Food Production

Romania has an important potential in producing honey, a high quality of apicultural products and the favorable conditions for ecological production, which can constitute market advantages on the global market for apicultural products. Recent development of the national apiculture sector through European. and national financing must be followed by investments in quality and modern processing units, which, can ensure an added value to exported products. Fragmentation of production and insufficient marketing of the products are the weak points of the local sector. The tradition and continuity of the honey production, exports towards traditional external partners, the opening of new markets, ecological production or the diversity of the range of products are the opportunities from which local beekeepers can benefit in the next period. This paper is an analysis of the Romanian sector and proposes future development directions which can ensure a high degree of competiveness for local production on the international market.