In the extreme north of Romania is probably the only public institution in Romania that makes a profit. What’s more, like a commercial company, it invests in development. He ended the year with 3.5 million lei in his accounts and carried out investments of over 4 million euros.
Popăuti Research Station Museum PHOTO Ionică Nechifor
In Romania, there is a totally atypical public institution. And not necessarily by the object of activity, but above all by the fact that it is a public institution, which manages to end the year 2024 in profit. It is about the Popăuți Sheep and Goat Research Station, from Botoșani county. The institution currently has 3.5 million lei in its accounts. And this after struggling in ruin and debt for more than two decades. The saving solution, in addition to saving debts, was the organization as in the private environment, with investments, production and then reinvesting the profit in new equipment and technologies. In the year 2025, the research station is preparing to invest in the distribution of the products obtained in the livestock farm, even the establishment of its own stores. The profit obtained will be reinvested in research.
A unique research station in Romania saved from ruin
The research station at Popăuți, in Botoșani county, is almost a century old and is based on interventions and research in the field of sheep and goats. In the 80s, researchers from Popăuți managed to create a new breed of sheep through genetic crossings, started a few decades before. It is about Botoşani karakul, a cross between the karakul sheep from the Uzbekistan and Astrakhan area with Turkana, an autochthonous breed. Over the decades, the breed has been improved and improved through research with new coat color varieties.
Karakul skins PHOTO The truth
In fact, the most important resource of the Botoșani karakul sheep is the skin, of particular beauty, noted even at international fairs. In addition, karakul meat is considered a delicacy in the Arab world and is particularly sought after for export. For more than two decades, after 1990 the resort was severely underfunded and fell into disrepair. He was barely surviving, accumulating huge debts. In 2017, the resort received unexpected help from the Government. Practically, debts worth 1.5 million lei were actually paid from government funds. In addition, the resort received money to pay for utilities. It was the zero moment in the development of the resort.
Large investments and development strategies as in the private sector
The resort was at zero in 2017, but solutions had to be found in order not to end up in the same situation again. Considering that the research institution had many karakul sheep and over 1000 hectares of land, a parallel investment was decided, so that the two areas would complement each other. In the first, he invested in an agricultural experimental base. Modern machinery was purchased through projects and then the land was cultivated with wheat, barley and canola. “It took advantage of the fact that we had a considerable area of land and we were able to create those experimental plots. Things went well, being a method of obtaining own funds, but also animal feed“, states Ionică Nechifor, the director of the Popăuți Research Station.
karakul rams PHOTO The truth
Projects of over four million lei were accessed, and the money invested in agricultural equipment. This is how we reached very good productions and competitiveness. That’s how the profit came about. Actually, the vegetable sector feeds the zootechnical sector. The animals had quality feed, from their own production, without any additional expenses, and the rest of the harvest was sold to obtain the necessary funds to rehabilitate the resort. Over the course of four years, building bodies were repaired, a museum was built, and laboratories were equipped. It was based on the production-profit-reinvestment principle.
Ionică Nechifor PHOTO Cosmin Zamfirache
“The vegetable base brings the highest income. It is the basis for animal husbandry research. We would work on restoring and equipping the research laboratories. And first of all we are talking about the breeding and genetics laboratory, the reproduction laboratory and of course the phytosanitary laboratory. This complementarity, vegetable-zootechnical I think was one of the secrets. In addition reinvesting the money obtained.“, says Ionică Nechifor. This is how a profit of 3.5 million lei was reached at the end of 2024. The money will be further invested in research. “It is a surplus that helps us to make investments next year, to improve the activity. “, adds Ionică Nechifor.
Own stores and research
Starting this year, the Popăuți Research Station will also invest in distribution. That is, it will have shops where it will sell its products, especially related to the resort’s livestock farm, with Karakul de Botoșani sheep. “These stores will help us supplement our income even more and we will offer fresh, quality products”adds Nechifor. At the same time, research aims to create two new lines of the breed, specialized in milk and meat, precisely to further diversify the offer.
