Before the 47th Congress of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations “Apimondia”, the traditional beekeeping industry in Bashkortostan was at risk due to a poorly planned and ambitious project.
According to the reporter MorningNewsin the Ishimbai district of Bashkiria, a public gathering of citizens was organized to protest against the arrival of a French company in the region, which will be involved in beekeeping.
People are concerned that the involvement of foreigners could harm the honey industry, which is traditional in Bashkiria. This information was reported Mkset.ru.
As of now, there has been no official response to this message. It can be argued that the leadership of the republic might have been occupied with other equally important matters – such as the appointment of a new mayor of Ufa, etc. However, the villagers and beekeepers have a different perception – they feel that the local authorities are simply not interested in listening to their people, who may end up without a means of living. Could they be right?
They marched in protest
Residents from the Ishimbay region recorded a video message, which can be viewed on YouTube.
It is worth noting that the participants in the recording speak Bashkir, which dismisses any potential accusations that they were hired by a rival of the French investors, as an appeal in Russian would have definitely gained more views.
Specifically, the villagers opposed the leasing of lands in several settlements for the placement of the French company's apiaries. According to the locals, the territory of the Ishimbaysky natural zoological reserve, a specially protected area, might be leased. According to the website of the radio station “Echo of Moscow in Ufa”an auction has already been scheduled for March 5 to lease several land plots near the villages of Sargaevo, Ibraevo and Isyakaevo.
During the meeting, it was also mentioned that the territory of the Ishimbaysky reserve had caught the attention of the French company Bee Happy. The website authors of the radio station “Echo of Moscow in Ufa” believe that the apiaries will be established by French investors Patrick Hoffman and Antoine Mendelovichi, who are representing the Otrada Group of Companies in Russia. It is important to note that the Otrada Group hasn't been involved in beekeeping before, but has previously specialized in activities such as pig breeding. According to Rusprofile, the company was established by an individual named Artem Shashlov (who also manages the Lipetsk company Euro Slats, created by Messrs. Hoffmann and Mendelovichi, which produces concrete products for use in construction and has very little connection to beekeeping).
From pig breeding to beekeeping, it seems like a logical transition, if there is a desire
Residents of the Ishimbay region also declared their disagreement with the location of the French company's apiaries. “I was surprised that they want to give our lands to the French … My grandfathers, great-grandfathers lived here, and why will I now have some kind of restriction? I don’t agree with this. And all my villagers are against anything happening here. We ourselves will cultivate our lands, we ourselves will enjoy all the benefits. Why don’t they ask us this, but want to solve it somewhere? We are against this, ”a local resident, a participant in the recording of the video message, is indignant.
bees in french
Residents of Bashkortostan believe that local authorities should help with buying, certifying, and exporting honey from local producers instead of letting foreign companies operate in the region.
The villagers are concerned that the arrival of a French company's apiaries in the region will reduce honey collection by local producers and could harm the local bee population. The French plan to establish 30,000 bee colonies and produce 7,000 tons of honey annually.
The citizens are determined to resist foreign expansion, as they believe they should have control in their own land. This was their message in the Bashkir language.
The local government's support for French interests in Bashkortostan is clear, as demonstrated by their approval and promotion of the project presented by Patrick Hoffman and Antoine Mendelovichi. government of Bashkiria reported that the project of Patrick Hoffman and Antoine Mendelovichi was presented at Investchas with the participation of the head of the region, Radiy Khabirov.
Photo: glavarb.ru
Radiy Khabirov
A year earlier, Bee Happy LLC was registered in Ufa, with Patrick Hoffman as the sole owner. Radiy Khabirov approved the inclusion of the French project in the priority list, offering incentives for the investors. Local producers may only dream of similar benefits.
What’s wrong?
Beekeepers in Bashkiria have been struggling in recent years, with bee colonies being affected and killed due to neighboring farmers' chemical pollination without notifying the beekeepers. Last summer, 1990 bee colonies were partially affected and 23 died in Bashkiria.
Beekeeping is costly, and the losses have been a great tragedy for many beekeepers, especially for those with a family history in beekeeping. Additionally, wild beekeeping is practiced in Bashkiria, making it a unique region in Russia.
The state should support Bashkir beekeepers by organizing centralized honey purchases and establishing a certification system for exporting Bashkir honey. This is particularly important as Bashkiria is set to host the 47th Congress of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations “Apimondia” soon.
Picture: pravitelstvorb.ru
The decision to host Apimondia in Bashkiria a few years ago was greeted with great happiness
Beekeepers in Bashkiria were eagerly anticipating this event and discussing changes and improvements needed in their business. There were numerous discussions in the local media involving experts – like hereditary beekeeper Maarat Fazylov shared his views in a publication. Mkset.ru.
However, instead of understanding and support from the authorities, the residents of Bashkiria were shocked when they saw a job advertisement on the recruiting site hh.ru looking for beekeepers and apiary managers for the sister company 'Bee Happy', offering a salary of 15 thousand rubles in Ufa and Sterlitamak and up to 35 thousand rubles in the Ishimbay region. The employee will have to work at several apiaries, following 'European standards and modern technologies', as well as train new employees. The employer promises to work in the 'National Park of the Ishimbai region', with a team of consultants from Belarus and other beekeepers.
Considering that beekeeping is a skill passed down through generations, there is concern about the future of Bashkir beekeeping as they prepare an alternative in this manner.
Picture: https://ufa.hh.ru
This announcement left a lasting impression on the residents of Bashkiria.
In addition, the recruiting site stated that Bee Happy is a fully integrated French company involved in beekeeping, honey processing, and packaging, exclusively based in the protected natural parks of Bashkiria. It was also mentioned that Bee Happy aims to create the largest honey production in Russia with 30,000 productive hives, using a high-quality genetic base developed in-house and exporting top-quality honey. It was also noted that the company was established in 2020.
The reaction of the republic's residents was very mixed, leading to an active discussion on Facebook.ru.
“The most difficult and responsible job. For 500 rubles per day, which is 8 euros per day, let them bring the French. Why are our beekeepers not pleasing the authorities? – Nafisa Akchurina, Executive Director of the Regional Public Organization Cultural and Educational “Berlek”, expressed her outrage.
“It's like they're recruiting Papuans. Shiny glass beads came to be exchanged for valuable Bashkir honey. Our 'leaders' are just like those beads, only more. Well, they are allowed to live among them – several more chalets of Bashkir origin will appear in France, ” supported the topic lawyer Timur Urazmetov.
Beekeeper and journalist Ilshat Imangulov pointed out that the Bashkir Experimental Beekeeping Station ceased to exist in Bashkiria since 2009, and the Center for Apitherapy and Beekeeping today is seen as a disappointing structure promoting industry development.
“Cherche la femme”?
There must be some explanation for such tempting preferences for French investors who have proposed an ambiguous project. And the most logical of them is this – someone asked for the French, whom the leadership of the region could not refuse.
To understand what is happening, it should be remembered that the wife of the head of Bashkortostan, Radiy Khabirov, is Karine Avetisyan (Khabirova). It would seem, but so what? And the fact that Karine Vladimirovna may well turn out to be the very person to whom Radiy Khabirov could not refuse the request.
It is no secret that one of the largest and most influential diasporas of immigrants from Armenia lives in France. According to the website of the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Republic of Armenia, “Armenians have settled in France since the early Middle Ages.” The community has grown exponentially since 1915, and currently numbers about 650,000 people, and this does not include migrant workers and illegal immigrants. This is a very large figure, given that the population of Armenia itself at the moment is about 3 million people.
Photo: twitter.com/UfaTime
Karine Avetisyan (Khabirova)
Accordingly, the diaspora of immigrants from Armenia has a great influence on the activities of the French state. And it is France that is the state where the rights of immigrants from Armenia are defended, perhaps, most zealously. In France, they even tried to pass a law punishing the denial of such a historical phenomenon as the Armenian genocide.
In this regard, it is not surprising that Radiy Khabirov, obviously, together with his wife Karine, went to meet the French, despite the active protests of fellow beekeepers from Bashkortostan. One can only guess what the Khabirov-Avetisyan couple will do after the Bashkir beekeepers are left without a job and a piece of bread and will simply be forced to declare it loudly.
Let us clarify that this is still more of a conspiracy theory, which is not supported by facts. It’s most likely just a fantasy.
… But in reality, the inhabitants of Bashkiria are already taking to the streets to call on the authorities to refrain from implementing a rash project. But will they hear?
