Beekeeping in Romania
Beekeeping in Romania has a long tradition, the first book in Romanian language from a Romanian author was written in 1785, but there are reports of hive hunting in the Transilvania region going back to the 11th century.
Commercial beekeeping received a big boost since the country joined the European Union, which offers plenty of funding opportunities to commercial beekeepers. However, as opposed to the U.S., the main goal of commercial beekeepers is producing honey, and pollination has a negligible (if any) financial interest for them.
Migratory beekeeping is still practiced though, but with the objective to maximize honey production. The most important target for migratory beekeepers is the black locust (false acacia) tree, which is not native to Europe, but originates from the eastern U.S. Still, black locust trees are usually not planted, they spread easily in our country (I have quite a few in my backyard). The blooming period is just 10 days, but if the weather is good, honey production is greater during those days than the rest of the whole year. Also, the light colored acacia honey is in very high regard.