A farm in Vadul-Rașcov brings prosperity to the entire community
He lived and studied in Italy for nine years, and three years ago he returned to the Republic of Moldova to grow his family’s business. Denis Pruteanu is 26 years old, lives in Chișinău, and commutes daily from Chișinău to Vadul-Rașcov, Șoldănești district, where his family owns a farm. The young entrepreneur wants to start processing meat, and thanks to funding from the European Union’s Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP, he is closer to his dream.
Denis’s family owns over 60 hectares of land on which they grow grain, and in order to make the most of it, they opened a farm a few years ago.
“Six years ago, my father started this business, but he didn’t have a development plan. After I finished my studies in Italy, I decided to develop this business, but it required large investments. I started looking for funding, but it was difficult and arduous,” says Denis.
The young entrepreneur drew up a business plan and submitted his application to a competition announced by the European Union’s Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP. Thanks to the $20,000 in funding, he was able to equip the farm with the most advanced machinery purchased from Italy. From equipment for watering, feeding, and ventilating the barn to machinery that sucks the grain into a tank, mixes it, and grinds it so that the animals can digest it.
“This support gave me wings and the desire to grow this business. Thanks to this support, we were also able to create the company logo. Branding is very important because it is the process of creating and managing our identity in the minds of consumers, i.e., our customers. We aim to create an emotional connection with consumers, build loyalty, and ultimately increase sales and market share,” explains the entrepreneur.
The entrepreneur who wants to produce only organic products
The young man wants to develop an entire value chain: processing and growing cereals, raising animals, and processing meat.
“In the future, I would like us to be certified organic/bio internationally. To create an organic brand, you need to have organic land and feed organic food to the animals. This is how you grow organic meat. We have everything we need, we just have to strive for it,” says Denis.
Every year, the Pruteanu family raises 150-200 sheep, goats, and pigs, which are sold to processors at a much lower price than if they had their own meat shops. The young entrepreneur wants to raise more pigs in the near future and start processing meat, including opening a restaurant in the village of Vadul-Rașcov.
“We want to process meat and make sausages. In a few months, we will purchase breeding animals. When I was in Italy, I discovered a wide variety of sausages. I would like to make sausages like in Italy, but in the Republic of Moldova,” says the young man.
Jobs at home
With the opening of the farm in the village of Vadul-Rașcov, ten jobs were created, which are so necessary in this locality located more than 100 kilometers from Chișinău. As the business develops, other jobs will be created for the locals.
“If we start processing, we will create even more jobs. Everyone wants to stay in their country, work here, start a family, and raise their children. That’s what I want too, which is why I chose to return to Moldova,” says the young entrepreneur.
Since 2024, 20 entrepreneurs, including Denis, have received support from the EU and UNDP to grow or launch their businesses. Supporting young entrepreneurs and the business environment is part of a broader effort by the European Union and UNDP to build trust and promote economic development on both sides of the Nistru River.
This material was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content represents the sole responsibility of the “European Union Confidence Building Measures Programme VI (2023-2025)” project, financed by the European Union. The content of the material belongs to the authors and does not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Union.
