Olga Harcenko, producer from left bank of Dniester who makes tale out of sorts of cheese

A sound, tasty and environment-friendly product

A sound, tasty and environment-friendly product – this is what Olga Harcenko has been set to create when she founded a mini-factory for producing artisan cheese in Tiraspol. In the production process, Olga observes the traditional ways of production of different sorts of cheese, which preserves the taste and the nutritive value of the product during more months. ‘’Our production is based on the idea to create a living product. During the production process, we do not use chemical substances, but only milk, water, salt, lactic bacteria and plant-based enzymes,’’ Olga Harcenko said.          

The main concern of the entrepreneur is that the end product should be not only a delicious gustative experience, but also a sound product for everybody, rich in proteins, calcium and other important nutrients. The sorts of cheese represent not only a valuable source of nutritive substances needed by the organism in order to work normally, but also the most efficient way of conservation of dairy products. The producer is of the opinion that such activities generate additional incomes for farmers and contribute to the economic development of the settlement.      

She participated in a contest organized by the UNDP project

To develop her business, Olga Harcenko participated in the contest organized by the project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Communities resistant communities to climate changes through women’s empowerment, with the financial assistance of Sweden. The contest was meant for women with economic activities in households willing to develop an environment-friendly business and resilient to the climate changes.   

The producer was provided modern equipment for processing and making different sorts of cheese with a capacity of 150 litres. This allowed the processing of milk being twice quicker than earlier and improving the quality of the finished product. The artisan cheese enjoys ever more popularity and for this reason Olga has already developed a network of loyal clients on the left bank of Dniester and wants to develop it on the right bank.      

„The financial assistance and the mentorship got within the project allowed me make my dream come true. Now, I can say with confidence that this was the best investment for the future of the family,’’ Olga Harcenko says. Being at the beginning of way, the entrepreneur says that the assistance got within the project was an extraordinary impetus to continue the development of the business and to improve the networks of production of different sorts of cheese.   

Olga believes that the fabrication of ecological products does not mean only care of people’s health, but also of nature. ‘’ The natural ingredients do not only nourish the organism, but also have a positive impact on the environment. Less chemical substances used in food products means less pollution of the water, of soil and of air. This is my small contribution to the ecological balance,’’ the producer notes.  

The production of artisan cheese – a flourishing business on the left bank of Dniester  

Ludmila Selencova from the Crasnogorka village on the left bank of Dniester, who produces artisan cheese from goat milk, by using green energy, has the same opinion. Due to the assistance got on behalf of Sweden within the UNDP project,  Communities resistant to climate changes through women’s empowerment, Ludmila now has modern equipment for the production of cheese, as well as solar panels for the supply of the line for production of cheese.      

„The sustainability has always been important for me. We do not only endeavour to meet the needs of our clients, but also to think about the future. The use of solar panels and other sources of renewable energy help us respect the nature and become more financially independent,’’ the producer says.    

These are two out of those 120 women who got mentorship and equipment worth up to 4,400 dollars on behalf of Sweden within the UNDP project, Communities resistant to climate changes through women’s empowerment, in order to initiate in their households economic activities resilient to climate changes. The women beneficiaries were selected at two public contests organized by the UNDP project, in which women from the districts of Nisporeni, Calarasi, Basarabeasca, Leova, Dubasari, the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia and the Transnistrian region participated. (According to UNDP)     

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii