As a farmer from the Moldovan village of Telenesti, Vasile Besprozvanyi must have many diverse economic ventures. This insures that if one activity is not profitable, he can replace it with another in order to minimize the risk of losing money when problems arise. Vasile simultaneously raises cattle, poultry and crops, and is successfully marketing them not only in the Republic of Moldova, but also in some regions of Eastern Europe and Russia.

His main activity is processing crops at his local mill primarily for producing a variety of fresh breads. Vasile’s dream is to someday sell his products to the large Western markets. To achieve this goal, he works hard to maintain high quality standards.

Vasile Besprozvanyi learned about a USAID program from the information distributed by the agricultural producers association in his region, which is supported by USAID. He expanded his business with help provided by USAID which includes expert advice, useful information, and financial aid. He acquired bakery equipment to produce his bread using his own financial resources, a grant from USAID, and a loan assured by other USAID projects in Moldova. He also attended training courses to develop business and managerial skills.

The USAID Private Farmers Assistance Program was launched in January 2001 to provide post-privatization assistance to private farmers and rural entrepreneurs in Moldova. The main goal is to ensure that the transition to private farms results in sustainable economic growth.

According to Vasile, “The courses were very useful, and produced many new ideas that I’m already implementing into practice. I learned modern managerial aspects of one small business, the structure of an effective distribution path for products, and how to plan and communicate with workers.”

As he prospers, so does his community. Due to Vasile’s efforts, the quality of life in his community has changed. His breads are sold in two regional markets and distributed, at a reduced price, to hospitals, kindergartens and schools in five local villages throughout the central part of Moldova. He provides bread to some of his community’s most disadvantaged citizens. His mill, as it grows, provides jobs in the village and other farmers with a place to mill the grain that they grow into flour.

With time, his products have gained popularity among local residents. And while he is taking only his first steps into the international marketplace, he hopes that one day even Americans will know and enjoy his products made in Moldova. At this point, Vasile already has enough money to develop his profitable business - this year alone his sales reached approximately $500,000.