Company
About us
Apis Agro 98 Ltd. is an agricultural company. It was established in 2015 and since then it has been constantly on the Bulgarian market. The company was the first and unique producer of lavender in Northwestern Bulgaria and has been continuously expanding its horizons and activities.
The company succeeded to make a fully closed production cycle, which includes planting, mechanical cultivation, harvesting, distillation / drying, wholesale of finished products: lavender oil, floral waters and dried lavender buds.
For the prosperity and development of the company the team has been constantly developing their knowledge and acquiring new skills to ensure good quality of both the production process and the final product.
Certificates
- Certificate of compliance №526 / 2020/00
Standard: Regulation (EC) №834 / 2007
Issued by BIO CERTIFICATION LTD, date of issue 13.08.2020
- Analytical certificate №Н 1392/11.08.2020
Standard: BULGARIAN STATE STANARD ISO 7609
Issued by Bull Rosa National Laboratory Ltd.
Projects
The company has successfully implemented two projects under the European Rural development programs: sub-measure 4.1 “Investments in rural areas” and sub-measure 4.2 “Investments in processing / marketing or development of agricultural products”.
Preparation works for the first project started immediately after the start-up of the company – in 2015. During this period “Apis Agro 98” Ltd. planted its first 250 acres of lavender plants and purchased most of its agricultural machinery, used effectively for a faster and more operative cultivation and more efficient harvesting. The project was fully implemented and finished before the end of 2017.
Preparation activities for the project under sub-measure 4.2 “Investments in processing / marketing or development of agricultural products” began in early 2017, and its implementation started only a few months ago. Thanks to this project, the company built a distillery for essential oils and a dryer for herbs. The investment project was developed on the basis of analysis of the market of essential oils taking into account the following:
•The increased demand for essential oils in the last few years;
• Modern technologies for distillation of essential oils;
• The existing competition in this field of activity.
Sub-measure 4.2
Investments in processing / marketing of agricultural products
Beneficiary: Apis Agro 98 OOD
Contract: BG06RDNP001-4.001-0197-C01 / 24.10.2019
Project: BUILDING OF A DISTILLERY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM MEDICAL AND AROMATIC CROPS
Project description: The project aims to build, equip and put into operation a workshop for distillation of essential oils. Company’s focus lays on the production of a finished product that meets the European quality standards at low production costs resulting in high competitiveness on the market.
The main result of the implementation of this project is higher competitiveness of the applicant due to the increased production capacity through the purchase of modern equipment.
The essence of the business lies in the processing of its own primary agricultural production and the sale of it in the form of a processed product at a significantly higher and more favorable price compared to that of the input raw material. The main goals in the implementation of the project are both the increase of profit and a stable financial flow of additional income from services.
The additional revenues generated as a result of the above activity, the applicant will use as reinvestment in improving the quality and safety of products, modernization of machinery and implementation of new production technologies, reducing production costs, creating new job opportunities in accordance with the objectives for increasing the competitiveness of rural farms under the Rural Development Program.
Measure: Measure 4 “Investments in tangible assets”
Sub-measure: Sub-measure 4.2 “Investment in processing / marketing of agricultural products”
Maximum grant amount: BGN 1,508,997.25.
Rural Development Program (2014-2020)
/ “The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe invests in rural areas” /
Targets
The company’s focus lays on the production of a finished product that meets the European quality standards at low production costs resulting in high competitiveness on the market.
For successful implementation of its market policy the company will proceed to work on:
- correct commercial relations with the main clients of the company;
- search for new solutions to attract customers’ attention as to meet their demands on products;
- conduct a pricing policy to win new customers, targeted to gain market shares from competing companies;
- research customer’s feed-back response;
- analyze the current state of the markets, accounting the new featured trends;
- take part in national and international exhibitions;
- keep-up of flexible decision–making policy answering the market fluctuations.
Wholesales are targeted at customers that produce perfume compositions, including sellers of aromatic products or sellers of aromatherapy products.
The strategic goal of the company is to increase the number of its future clients in the countries where the company products are currently sold, and to search new opportunities to expand the geographical scope of the company’s products market.
In order to achieve these goals, Apis Agro 98 Ltd. monitors all innovations in the sphere of technical equipment, process automation, strict control on process input, the production process itself and at the output – shipment and delivery.
Our Process
Some of the key stages in our production process
Planting
Early spring (February-March), before the spring drought, or late autumn – after the cessation of plant vegetation.
For more efficient planting of the lavender plants, the company has got new planting machines.
Harvesting and drying the lavender crop
With special machines designed for the purpose of mowing lavender, we harvest the blooming plants. Part of the plants are dried in a tunnel conveyor belt dryer consisting of 6 autonomous drying sections. After drying the plants are sorted into stalks and flowers using a sorting machine.
Distillation of essential oils
After harvesting the lavender plants, one part of the lavender goes to the distillery for essential oil. For extracting oil purposes we have 6 pcs. of distillation apparatus with a capacity of 5.5 m³ each. A precious by-product obtained after distillation process is the so-called natural aromatic or floral lavender water.
The company has got the equipment for extraction of both light and heavy essential oils.
