Advanced Scientific and Industrial Beekeeping Centre Established in Lori
Lusine Petrosyan, a historian by profession, took up beekeeping after the 2020 war, determined to make her own small contribution into the country’s economic development. In 2021, she founded her small apiary in the town of Spitak, Lori region, starting with just six beehives. Although she lacked the necessary knowledge and experience, her enthusiasm and perseverance led her to success. With the income she earned, she purchased additional hives and gained professional and entrepreneurial expertise through sector-specific projects. By combining traditional methods passed down through generations with innovative technologies, she was able to steadily expand her business. By 2025, the number of her beehives had grown to 70. In the future, she plans to further expand her apiary, create employment opportunities, and produce new competitive products.
Today, in addition to running her own beekeeping business, Lusine is actively involved in the projects at the recently established scientific and industrial beekeeping centre in the Margahovit settlement of Lori region. The centre offers comprehensive services to beekeepers from across Armenia, helping them boost the productivity of their apiaries. Prior to its establishment, such services were not available in the country.
The centre was established through the joint investment of the “Sustainable Inclusive Growth in Mountainous Armenia” (SIGMA) project—funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)—and the “Beekeeping Forge” Scientific-Educational Centre. Through this support, SDC promotes rural innovation that improves market access, increases household incomes, and strengthens the resilience of smallholder farmers.
The centre offers a comprehensive range of services, including queen bee breeding, disease management, production, purchase and sale of bee products, beekeeper training, as well as branding and promotion of bee products. The Beekeeping Forge Centre houses specialised laboratories for queen bee breeding and bee disease diagnostics, fitted with high-quality European equipment. It also features a training hall for beekeepers and facilities for producing and processing honey and other bee products. A workshop for producing wax sheets and beehives is currently being equipped with the necessary machinery.
“Veterinary services for bees are crucial for the sustainable development of beekeeping. The staff at the Margahovit Centre use modern methods to diagnose and treat a range of bee diseases. The centre’s veterinary team played a particularly vital role during the outbreak of several bee colony diseases between August and November 2025. The damage was especially severe in the Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions, where 30–60% of bee colonies were lost. During this period, the centre provided comprehensive veterinary services to more than 50 beekeepers nationwide, and offered regular consultations to 250 members of the Beekeeping Forge Scientific-Educational Centre, significantly mitigating the impact of the outbreak,” noted Edgar Hayrapetyan, co-founder of the Beekeeping Forge Scientific-Educational Centre and Head of Veterinary Services at the Margahovit Beekeeping Centre.
Today, Lusine, now a well-established beekeeper, not only manages the queen bee breeding service but also serves as a member of the veterinary team at the Margahovit Centre.
“We plan to carry out large-scale activities at the Margahovit Centre aimed at developing the queen bee breeding service. This includes introducing artificial insemination for queen bees and recruiting new staff. These efforts will allow us to produce higher-quality bee colonies and expand our operations, setting a new standard in the sector. I am confident that, in the future, we will be able to compete in more advanced markets and establish ourselves as a leader in the industry,” notes Lusine.
The Beekeeping Centre in Margahovit is a unique platform in Armenia, designed to advance beekeeping services by integrating scientific expertise, professional training, and modern technologies. The Centre also plays a vital role in fostering valuable business connections, which in turn enhance the productivity of beekeeping households.
Tigran Sedrakyan, co-founder of the Beekeeping Forge Scientific-Educational Centre, notes, “The services and projects of the Margahovit Beekeeping Centre are available to beekeepers from all regions of Armenia, including women and youth. More than 230 beekeepers used the centre’s services in 2024–2025, enhancing their knowledge and skills while gaining new sales channels. It is projected that by 2027, over 400 rural households will regularly benefit from the services offered by the centre.”
Beekeeping plays a vital role not only in the sustainable development of agriculture but also in maintaining biodiversity. Through bee pollination, crop yields can increase by 30–40%, and in some cases by more than 50%. By supporting this initiative, the SIGMA project not only creates new opportunities for beekeeping households but also helps boost crop yields and protect the ecosystem. The SIGMA Project is implemented by DAI Global and its Armenian branch in partnership with AMPERA Consulting Company.
