As Natalia Trifaila and her husband, Denis, wander through the rows of trees on their family farm, their fondness for agriculture comes through as strongly as an integral branch of the family tree.
“I founded Tridenal in 2010, having inherited a passion for agriculture from my father,” Natalia Trifaila proudly reminisces. She started off planting just one crop – apricots – on twelve hectares of farmland. That was the beginning of a now-thriving horticulture and fruit tree production company.
True entrepreneurs, Natalia and Denis first did everything themselves. Running a business proved to be an enriching challenge that the pair were determined to execute successfully.
“The main challenges we faced in developing our business were the lack of finance and shortage of qualified staff,” Denis Trifaila explains, reaching down to scratch their family dog. The farm had already branched out into cherries, pears and apples; in order to grow sustainably, Tridenal needed investment.
Fortunately, EFSE partners with local financial institutions supported by the EU as part of its EU4Business Initiative, such as BT Leasing, provide sustainable financing to entrepreneurs in the Moldovan market. With the help of specialised financial products for agricultural businesses, Natalia and Denis have been able to successfully scale up, leasing equipment to support their company’s growth and ensure a rich harvest.
Today, says Natalia, “we hire up to 50 seasonal employees and plant 51 hectares of orchard. In the years ahead, we want to fully utilize our total land area of 70 hectares and are considering buying high-performance tractors.”
The couple have other growth plans, too: Natalia is pregnant with twins. Denis takes her hand. “We are developing our business for a better future for our country and for our family.”
Meanwhile, many of the orchards in the north of Moldova harbour fruit trees that have been nursed by Tridenal. What started as a small family-run agriculture business is now planting the seeds of prosperity across Moldova.
