French Honey Company To Operate Beekeeping Firm In Russia's Bashkortostan Worth $52Mln

French Honey Company to Operate Beekeeping Firm in Russia's Bashkortostan Worth $52Mln

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2021) The French-based Bee Happy company, specializing in bee farming and production of honey-linked goods will operate a project to develop beekeeping in the Russian region of Bashkortostan, which is expected to receive 3.8 billion rubles (nearly $52.7 million) in investments up till 2028, regional head Radiy Khabirov said on Friday.

Last year, French businessman Patrick Hoffmann registered the Bee Happy company in Bashkortostan, and later voiced his intention to create a large honey production facility in the region jointly with another French businessman Antoine Mendelovici. The project includes 50,000 bee colonies and products are expected to be exported to European and Asian nations. Besides, Hoffmann was said to be planning to open a honey quality laboratory with international accreditation, work on the preservation and development of the genetics of the Bashkir population of the Central Russian bee, also known as the Russian honey bee, and promote Bashkir honey as a brand.

"We considered in detail the comprehensive project, approving its inclusion in the list of priority projects of the republic. And the volume of investments is really impressive - it is 3.8 billion rubles until 2028 in the development of our beekeeping. And most importantly, the project operator - the company Bee Happy - will be engaged in breeding work to preserve the Bashkir population of the Central Russian bee," Khabirov wrote on the VKontakte social network.

The project is expected to kick off later in 2021, with the opening of new production sites across the region, particularly, in Burzyansky, Ishimbaysky, Kugarchinsky, and Kuyurgazinsky districts. It aims to reach 7,000 tonnes of products per year in terms of production capacity.

Khabirov noted that the results of the project are expected to be presented during the 2022 Apimondia forum, gathering beekeepers from across the world to discuss the challenges facing their industry. The meeting is due to be held in Bashkortostan next year.