For the first time, an information system for the protection of bees has been launched in Moldova.
This was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, noting that from the beginning of this year, agricultural producers are required to register work on the cultivation of land with phytosanitary preparations and fertilizers, and beekeepers - to register their bee colonies on the online platform http://BeeProtect.md. Its main goal is to reduce the risk of bee poisoning by phytosanitary preparations. The platform is designed to guarantee communication and mutual information between farmers and beekeepers about spraying crops and placing hives near agricultural land. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea noted the importance of information exchange between farmers, beekeepers and authorities. He stressed that crop pollination is vital. Bees are mainly involved in this process. For this reason, the Ministry of Agriculture draws attention to the need to protect them. “We believe that we can increase yields and protect bee populations only through cooperation and communication,” the head of the Ministry of Agriculture said. According to him, any agricultural producer who plans to treat crops with phytosanitary agents must register in the BeeProtect.md system and indicate on the map the boundaries of the lands on which they will be carried out. At least 2 days before spraying, farmers must notify the date and time of the planned spraying, indicating land and crops, as well as the name of the phytosanitary agent. For their part, beekeepers must register in the BeeProtect.md system, indicate on the map the location of the hives in stationary or pasture conditions, the period of stay in pastures and the number of bee colonies. If the farmer plans to spray, he must indicate the planned work in the system at least 48 hours in advance. All beekeepers within a 7 km radius will be notified of the bee protection measures within a few hours from the date specified by the farmer. Every year, cases of mass poisoning of bees are found on the territory of Moldova. This fact is detrimental to beekeepers, eventually affecting the entire agricultural sector, as well as consumers of natural honey. It is estimated that cases of bee poisoning can lead to losses from 60% to 100% of the number of bee colonies, in a situation where financial losses for each bee colony in terms of investment and lost profits can reach up to 6,000 lei. At the same time, pollination of agricultural crops by bees can increase the yield of fruit trees, vegetables, rape, sunflower by 40-60%. The BeeProtect.md information system was developed at the initiative of the National Association of Beekeepers of Moldova, with the full participation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Associations of Agricultural Producers, the National Agency for Food Safety, the Electronic Governance Agency, with financial support from USAID within the framework of the project "Competitiveness and Sustainability of Rural Areas in Moldova". According to the new provisions of the Administrative Code of Moldova, non-registration by beekeepers of hives, spraying works by farmers, as well as entering incorrect data entails certain sanctions. // 03.04.2023 — InfoMarket.
