THIRTY Lindeners are now equipped with the knowledge to tap into apiculture, a non-traditional agriculture sector, following completion of an entrepreneurial and apiculture training programme.

The training, which came to an end on Friday, aimed to push agriculture in Linden in keeping with the vision of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN).
Present at the closing ceremony of the training was Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for rural affairs, Valerie Yearwood- Patterson.
She said the programme was a much-needed one for Linden and commended the participants who took the challenge of venturing out into what she considers a “non-traditional sector.”

Patterson noted that the trained Lindeners now have a responsibility to use the knowledge gained for their success “and for the success of Region 10 and Guyana”.

She encouraged the participants to be diligent, self-motivated and to think big.
“Stick to the business at hand, be diligent in what you do, be self-motivated, don’t wait for somebody to come and spur you on, it’s your business and you must want to do it; be serious about what you do. Think about the big possibilities, not only in apiculture, but in agriculture as a whole. I learnt of so many by-products that can come from honey, so don’t just think little that you are going to get the honey and sell it in the market. Think about all the possibilities and I want to urge you to think big. This is a time to begin to think big and the only way you could do that, you have to see yourself as somebody who can become big,” the minister said

In addition, she charged the Lindeners to think outside the box.
“Don’t keep yourself in the little box. Think outside the box and if you do that, you are going to come out of the little box and see the possibilities on the outside. You have to do networking. Networking helps you to expand; it helps you to improve…. Think development, you must have a determination to succeed, be consistent in what you do, persistence will certainly bring great success,” Patterson posited.

Furthermore, Patterson committed to providing each of the 30 Lindeners with a beehive.
Five additional beehives were also donated to outstanding participants of the programme by the Regional Democratic Council, Region 10.

Sting-proof bee suits were also donated to 15 participants by the Church of Jesus Christ.
In addition, LEN committed to assisting the participants with start-up loans to purchase other hives in order to kickstart their beekeeping businesses.
All participants also received certificates at the closing ceremony.

The six-day training programme targeted mainly farmers within Region 10. The participants were taught beekeeping, apiary planning principles and going into value-added production.
The programme consisted of both theory and practical exercises.

Participant, Elton Griffith, said the programme was very beneficial and is happy it was introduced to Linden.

“I think that we can tap into the market. You don’t have to invest much into it but once you have the knowledge you can also share it by which we can create jobs for other people. From this, we could also do workshops and train more people.”
Griffith plans to open up his own apiary.

Also present at the event was Regional Executive Officer of Region Ten, Orrin Gordon, representatives of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, the Guyana Marketing Corporation and the Regional Democratic Council, Region 10.