AGRICULTURE Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy attended the first beekeeping workshop for 2012 on Friday last, and committed his support to both the beekeepers and agro processors, as he recognized the value of supporting these cottage industries. He also handed over agro processing equipment valued at $1.5M to the women’s group to enhance their production to meet larger orders. Previously, group members were forced to process the orders manually. Minister Ramsammy also committed the Government’s support to the groups, even after the mangrove project comes to an end next year.
Kingdom Apiary Products & Services facilitated the workshop held at the Mangrove Visitors’ Centre sited in the building of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara.
Targeting beekeepers and Women’s groups in close proximity to the mangrove forest, the main objective of the Beekeeping Training programme was to train community members living near mangrove forests to become expert beekeepers, as well as empower them with the requisite skills for each to independently manage their beekeeping business.
Participants of the programme were provided with all needed equipment, such as beekeeping suits, smokers, hives, and bottling and packaging for their honey.
The beekeepers, who now earn a living from the sale of honey produced in the mangrove reserves, are now the most ardent protectors of the mangroves in their communities. Additionally, they undertake extensive public awareness activities in an effort to spread the message of the importance of mangrove conservation and management.
One component of the beekeeping training dealt with value-added products, such as candles made from the beeswax. According to a release, Devon Gilhead has exceeded the wildest expectations of the project, as, within a few months, he has commenced production of the most exquisite candles produced from the beeswax of the mangrove honey. These handmade candles are superior, in that they are made from 100% natural beeswax, which does not give off polluting smoke as those of the paraffin candles, and are consequently not harmful to health, the release pointed out.
Meanwhile, a spin-off of the beekeeping component was the mangrove honey producers forming themselves into agro processing units in order to supply the Mangrove Visitors Centre with products made by women farmers in the mangrove-forested communities.
During the just-concluded Christmas holidays, the women earned over $2M in sales through orders made by Digicel and CGX for hundreds of baskets of their products, which they attractively packaged.
Preliminary meetings to discuss partnerships with the mangrove project were initiated in 2010 with active beekeepers who harvest honey in mangrove-forested areas along the coastline. Some of their recommendations were, that they receive support from the project to package and market their product, in exchange for which they will support the awareness and education at the community level.
Follow-up discussions in 2011 led to commencement of a pilot project with beekeepers from five communities: Cove and John, Mahaicony, Profit, Trafalgar and Wellington Park.