Pavel Zingan in an interview with Silvia Stoica, the administrator of the “STOICA SILVIA VICTOR” Peasant Household, maib business customer.
When you hear the word “sea buckthorn”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s health. And that’s no surprise. Sea buckthorn is a nutritional powerhouse packed with around 200 different nutrients. It’s famous for boosting the immune system and contains beneficial compounds. Sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin C, which stays effective even after freezing. Just a few tablespoons of sea buckthorn oil can meet your daily needs for vitamin E. It’s rare to find products with such high levels of vitamins C and E. Additionally, sea buckthorn provides a great nix of carotenoids, a form of vitamin A. On top of that, it includes several B vitamins, vitamin P, and vitamin K.
I tried to find statistics on sea buckthorn cultivation in Moldova. I didn't see much information, but I discovered a few things.
According to expert estimates for 2023, the total area of sea buckthorn plantations in Moldova is approaching 200 hectares. Additionally, there is a significant amount of wild sea buckthorn in the country, which is harvested and reaches the local market.
Given these figures, the Peasant Household STOICA SILVIA VICTOR, which cultivates sea buckthorn in the village of Leordoaia, Călărași district, supplies approximately 8-10% of all sea buckthorn in Moldova.
Learn more about the sea buckthorn business in the interview below.
Silvia, good afternoon. When did you decide to cultivate sea buckthorn?
Seven years ago. For us, it’s a family business, with my father and my brother, Victor senior and Victor junior, all involved."
Do you focus solely on sea buckthorn, or do you have other agricultural activities?
We’ve chosen to specialize exclusively in sea buckthorn – its cultivation and processing. The variety of products that can be obtained from sea buckthorn is so vast and the specialization is justified. There are numerous possibilities for development.
How much land do you cultivate for growing sea buckthorn?
Seventeen hectares. I bought seedlings and started from scratch.
I don’t know anything about farming. When does sea buckthorn start bearing fruit?
The third or fourth year after planting. And the lifespan of a sea buckthorn bush is 20-25 years. So, our plantation can still be considered young.
When you say it’s a family business, does that mean three people can manage such a plantation?
Since the plantation care work can be mechanized, we focus on the maintenance of the plantation. But harvesting, of course, requires more workers. In terms of care, we must obtain ECO certification, which confirms that our processing methods are environmentally sound and allow the fruit to accumulate the maximum of vitamins and micro-nutrients before harvesting.
Do you sell all your buckthorn during the harvest season?
That wouldn’t be the most advantageous business approach. We find it much more interesting to work with processed sea buckthorn products or at least ensure the long-term preservation of the fruits. Currently, we rent a cold storage facility in Orhei, but we are in the process of building our own. We’ve covered part of the costs with our resources, while most of the investments have been made through a loan from maib.
You’ve mentioned you are interested in processed sea buckthorn products.
We are already processing our own fruits. Our product line includes jams, puree, concentrated juice, oil, and soap.
Where can customers buy your products?
They are sold in Soiuz and Budapest shopping centers, and in season – at the Ecolocal market. In the autumn, you can meet us weekly at Ecolocal.
Are restaurants among your customers?
Quite a lot. Teas and desserts containing sea buckthorn are becoming increasingly popular - sea buckthorn is as tasty as it is healthy, so restaurants are constant customers. But why are you asking?
I have a Telegram channel about gastronomy and would be happy to recommend seasonal products. How would you describe your products’ unique advantages for such an ad?
Our methods of growing and processing sea buckthorn allow the maximum preservation of its beneficial biological properties. We guarantee that after trying our products, any potential customer will have no doubts about who to work with. We take responsibility for the quality of our products.
