Development of beekeeping in the Vologda region

In ancient times, bees were believed to be sacred beings, winged messengers of the gods and predictors of the future, possessing knowledge of many secrets. Therefore, at that time, honey was considered the food of the gods and heavenly nectar.

Beekeeping in the Vologda Oblast is a traditional branch of agriculture, which makes it possible to produce valuable food biologically active products for the population.
Since 2020, a register of beekeepers has been created in the region, as of January 1, 2021, 2038 people with more than 16 thousand bee families are included in it.

The most developed beekeeping is in the Vologda, Cherepovets, Tarnogsky and Gryazovets regions. The largest apiary is located in the Cherepovets region - 300 bee colonies. The Vologda regional public organization of beekeepers has been created and is actively functioning in the region.

To support and popularize beekeeping in the Vologda Oblast, regional competitions of beekeepers, training seminars, and an annual scientific and practical conference are held.

The main direction in the development of the beekeeping industry in the region is to show people's interest in this industry, increase their level of knowledge, and provide the industry with qualified specialists. In the educational institutions of the region, you can get the profession of a beekeeper.

On the basis of BPOU VO "Vologda Agrarian and Economic College" beekeeping is included in the curriculum for graduates in the specialty "Veterinary" to receive an additional profession.

At the faculty of advanced training and retraining of personnel of the FGBOU HE “Vologda State Dairy Academy named after N.V. Vereshchagin, a school for advanced training of beekeepers was created. In addition, the academy conducts training under the "Beginner beekeeper" program. There is a training apiary for training, beekeeping equipment and inventory have been purchased. For 2018-2020, 21 people received the Beginning Beekeeper certificate.

Since September 2021, the educational project "Farmer's School" has been implemented in Vologda with funding from Rosselkhozbank JSC. 15 beekeepers trained. They successfully received a diploma of professional retraining with the right to engage in beekeeping. The best graduates will receive an additional grant support of 300 thousand rubles. for the development of the economy.

With the support of the Government of the region, beekeepers of the region actively participate in international, Russian and regional exhibitions, honey quality reviews. The products of the beekeepers of the region were presented at the international exhibitions of food, beverages and raw materials for their production "PRODEXPO".

In the region, for the development of beekeeping, you can receive state support in the direction of the Agrostartup grant as part of the implementation of the national project "Acceleration of small and medium-sized businesses."

The first grant was allocated to an individual entrepreneur from the Vashkinsky district, Koryakovsky Alexander Alexandrovich. In 2021, he received state support in the amount of 1.8 million rubles for the implementation of the "Beekeeping Development" project.

The development of beekeeping in the region directly depends on the equipment of apiaries. A few years ago, a line for the production of beehives was launched in the village of Nefedovo, Vashkinsky district. They are made of expanded polystyrene using a special technology adapted to our harsh northern conditions. Durable, light, comfortable for bees and unpretentious in maintenance for the owners. The products have proven themselves both in the Vologda region and far beyond its borders. 16,100 sets of beehives worth more than 100 million rubles have already been manufactured. Another line will appear next year.

“We will support and develop beekeeping in the Vologda Oblast so that all residents can have real Vologda honey on their tables,” says Sergey Poromonov, HEAD of the Department.