FOR some years now, CARICOM  countries have been expressing their commitment to the elimination of the US$6 billion food imports, but not much had been achieved until a move by Guyana to avoid being affected by the “Dutch Disease” by being too dependent on oil revenues.
Guyana committed to eliminating the US$6 billion per annum food import bill by embarking upon an agricultural revolution: new crops such as soya, maise, millet and tropical wheat were introduced;  livestock – poultry, cows and sheep -were upgraded by import of foreign breeds;  prawns and fish like tilapia were cultivated in ponds in addition to deep sea fishing;  and sugar and rice cultivation began to be scientifically modernised with a rise in production and productivity and upgrading of honey production was also part of this agricultural push. Guyana is confident of achieving a 25% reduction in the food import bill of US$6 billion by the end of 2025.

Expertise from Cuba was enlisted to help develop the Honey Industry with NAREI, while at the same time, the Ministry  quietly gave some stimulus at the local level by training in apiary management to interested villagers and even sometimes donating hives. Recently, towards the end of June, for instance, President Dr. Irfaan Ali visited St Cuthbert Mission, donated 25 hives, and arranged to train the persons who will man them.  The honey industry is fostered both as an import substitution and to improve the nutrition and health standards of the population.

It may be apposite to say a word of the history of honey to remind us of its ancient provenance and so underscore its complete usefulness and safety.  The first extant record of honey production was from a Stone Age painting in the Cuevas de Arana in Spain some 8000 years ago.  It was widely used in Egyptian civilisation as a food and medicine and to embalm the mummies. It is part of Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia dating back 4000 years. It is also used in religious ceremonies.
Honey is anti inflammatory,  antioxidant,  antimicrobial,  antiseptic, and antibacterial and boosts the immune system.  When these qualities are brought to bear on the various organs of the body and on various diseases, the curative nature of honey becomes evident.

Below, we mention some of the ailments or conditions in which honey has been helpful:
Heals cuts and wounds;  helps relieve coughs, colds and bronchitis;   aids digestion;  treatment of burns with good results;  improves brain function and memory;  reduces arthritis symptoms;  aids in cancer prevention inhibits cancer cell growth;  helps to manage diabetes, controls blood sugar;  promotes heart health – lowers LDL.

One could get two types on the market – raw honey, which exists in the hive and is the same as ‘pure honey’ and pasteurised honey, which has been subjected to heat.  Most of the local honey at present sold in the supermarkets, though labelled as “pure honey” has been diluted with syrups such as corn syrup, and the buyer is not aware of this.

Consumers could obtain pure raw honey directly from any of the many amateur producers who have one or two hives.  The one large producer is the Rajkimar family from Berbice, who have been in business since the 1940s and their honey is regarded as pure and of good quality and could be obtained from better supermarkets.   Consumers should also be on the alert for fake honey, which is mostly imported and sold in supermarkets.  Fake honey is formulated with syrups , which simulate the taste of honey.

Genuine pure honey would become more readily available and be increasingly used as a food and drug as the honey industry rapidly expands.