CONSTRUCTION WORK is in progress on a $14 million local honey bottling plant in Linstead, St. Catherine that should help tackle some of the problems faced by the beekeeping industry.
The plant should be in full operation by June next year and is part of the Ministry of Agriculture/Agricultural Services Support honey production and marketing project, geared at erasing bee-related problems.
The $15.9 million project will also address problems plaguing the industry caused by exotic bee pests, lack of proper marketing, the need for improved technology and the high cost of beekeeping equipment.
There are over 1,750 beekeepers in the industry and bee farmers have made substantial investments in infrastructure, bees, beekeeping equipment and transportation amounting to an estimated $320 million. The estimated 35,000 hives in the country is valued at $210 million and have an annual output of 9,000 tonnes of honey and a small quantity of bees wax and bee pollen valued at $155 million.
The packaging house at Linstead is expected initially to purchase a third of the honey produced by bee farmers throughout the island and exporters are expected to purchase 80 per cent of the honey from the plant. It will also facilitate the expansion of the beekeeping industry into markets in Europe and the rest of the Caribbean.
This information was released yesterday at the opening ceremony for the five-day Ministry of Agriculture/All Island Bee Farmers Association third Caribbean Beekeeping Congress held at the Jamaica Conference Centre. The conference will showcase the latest technology and research in the industry.
Speakers at the conference will include researchers, producers and suppliers of technology for the industry.
DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Presentations will address the economics of beekeeping, local and international laws, pest and disease management and the contribution of bees to pollination, all geared at charting a course for the sustainable development of the industry.
Dr. Richard Harrison, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture said that though Jamaica's beekeeping industry is the most developed in the English-speaking Caribbean, it still faces major problems. Though the country has the highest number of beekeepers, bee-hives and the highest output of honey and other products; an organised bee farmers association, the best level of Government support and more advanced apiary management systems, the industry has the potential for greater expansion as there is a great demand for honey on the world market
The beekeeping industry has an estimated potential earning of $175 million annually from honey production (currently in the region of $155 million per annum).
TESTING ON QUEEN BEES
The production of pollen is also a high income earner for beekeepers who should be able to reap approximately 30 pounds of pollen per annum. Bee farmers have also not started to produce propolis bees wax in large quantities and queen bees for export. They have also not begun to tap into value added products like roya jelly.
The development project also includes the establishment of two queen bee apiaries and laboratory testing on queen bees is currently being conducted to develop good quality bees that are highly productive and tolerant to pests. Training of bee farmers islandwide in pest and disease identification should also begin next month and to lower the cost of equipment and encourage more persons to enter the business, the Government has allowed duty exemptions on new imported equipment.
