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Beekeepers exposed to creation of end-product training session
About 20 beekeepers attached to the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project yesterday participated in the third beekeepers’ training session which focused on the conversion of bee hives’ by-products into end-products. Some end-products created during the training session include soap, candle and wax ornament.
The two-day training was held at the Mangrove Reserves Centre, Victoria, East Coast Demerara. It is part of the six-month training session, which commenced in August and is intended to equip beekeepers with theoretical and practical knowledge regarding beekeeping, including mangroves species, pollination, extraction and utilization of by-products.
Beekeepers receive training in candle production during beekeeping training session.
According to Annette Arjoon, Chairperson, Mangrove Action Committee, this initiative is part of the livelihood component of the Mangrove Restoration Project, which has been generously supported by the European Union.
The idea behind the livelihood component of the resuscitation of mangroves as a natural form of sea defence project, is to ensure the sustainability of the mangroves after the project concludes in 2013.
Arjoon emphasised that each beekeeper has their own stretch of mangroves which they have converted into apiaries. This, she emphasized, would ensure the protection of at least 100 kilometers of mangroves.
She stressed that the generation of income from the mangroves will motivate beekeepers to advocate for the preservation of mangroves as they would not want their livelihoods to be destroyed.
According to the training session facilitator, Linden Stewart of the Kingdom Apiary Products and Supplies, some of the by-products of a hive include honey, bees wax, bee pollen, Roy jelly, proplis and bee venom.
He noted that session served to inform beekeepers that the by-products of a hive can be converted into useful marketable end-products. Stewart said that in some countries, including the United States, the bee industry is huge. He is optimistic that this can be the same in Guyana, if only beekeepers maximize the resources.
It was noted that most of the technology involved in the production of hive resources into end-products are available in Guyana and are affordable.
Those involved in beekeeping welcomed the training sessions as they anticipate the expansion of their businesses from honey sale alone to include the other end-products.
According to Carlotta De Jesus, a beekeeper, she recently started her beekeeping venture and is already making financial gains. Presently De Jesus’ business is limited to honey which is sold at the Mangrove Reserves Centre and shops around her community. However, she is anticipating her operation’s expansion with the knowledge obtained through the training sessions.
It was stressed that candle is one of the many products she is learning to make from bee wax, which is obtained from the hive. Another product that De Jesus wants to produce is wax foundation. This product is used by beekeepers in the rearing of bees and is quite costly since it is imported.
De Jesus is not worried about market availability when the new products come on stream, since avenues to sell the produce exist. De Jesus is optimistic that like the bottled honey, the other products will be successful.
She asserted that the beekeepers are interested in forming an East Coast Demerara Beekeepers Association.
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