Cuban specialist to provide support – Minister Mustapha

GUYANA is preparing to increase its domestic honey production with the assistance of Cuban specialists, according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference earlier this week, Mustapha revealed that the country is producing honey on a small scale. At the upcoming Agri Investment and Forum to be held here, Guyana and Cuba will sign an agreement to foster partnerships within the agriculture sector.

“We have some specialists from Cuba that will help us to start our apiary in Guyana. We have already identified two regions, Region Nine and One and we are hoping to go largescale on the production,” Mustapha said.

“We are opening up opportunities for a number of persons we have been working with a number of persons; as it stands now, Guyana is producing honey but on a small scale,” he added.

According to a recent article published in the Bee Culture -The Magazine of American Beekeeping, Cuba produced more than 10,500 tonnes of honey in 2021.

The publication’s figures indicated a total of approximately 500 organic beekeepers in the country.

Supported by the government, Cuba’s honey-making industry has continued to grow, with record exports of 8,500 tonnes in 2021, mainly destined for markets in Western Europe, Canada, Japan, the Bahamas, and Martinique.

Meanwhile, the global honey market size is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2 per cent from 2022 to 2030, and expanding Guyana’s honey industry is high on the government’s agricultural development agenda.

In 2022, Guyana produced over 3,700 gallons of honey and the Ministry of Agriculture here has vowed to support bee farmers.

Mustapha, in a report earlier this year, said that the ministry, through the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), has been working to develop the industry, especially in the hinterland communities.

“The GLDA was tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for the industry and has commenced working with new and existing beekeepers so that they can either establish or expand their operations. This will continue in 2023,” Mustapha said.

During the course of 2023, persons from Regions One, Five, Six, and Nine will benefit from additional support to further develop Guyana’s honey industry. This, he added, will enable persons to view bee rearing as an economic activity.

In 2021, the global honey market was said to be valued at US$8.58 billion. With honey being a natural sweetener and an excellent source of numerous nutritional ingredients including vitamins, minerals, calcium, and antioxidants, the global demand for pure and unadulterated honey continues to increase.