280 beekeepers to receive 10 hive boxes each – Min Mustapha
Two hundred and eighty beekeepers will receive 10 hive boxes as part of the government’s efforts to expand honey production and meet domestic demand.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha made the announcement during the 3rd annual Honey Festival in the compound of the ministry’s Regent Street office on Friday evening.
He said the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) will coordinate the distribution to the country’s approximately 280 beekeepers.
“Our vision is clear. We want to increase the number of active beekeepers and productive hives, improve honey yields through modern colony management,” he said.
Thus, investment in the industry has exceeded $241 million, covering equipment, protective gear, production inputs, training and technical support.
He said 3,320 hive boxes were distributed between 2020 and 2026, along with frames, hive stands, tools and other equipment.
Resulting from this, some 2,500 honey samples were also tested at the GLDA laboratory while the number of active hives has increased from 1,145 to 1,983.
He said the demand for honey in Guyana currently exceeds production, creating opportunities for producers to expand their businesses.
“When you look at the demand today in our country, right here in Guyana, the demand is more than the production. So we have to up supply,” he said.
The minister explained the government intends to expand the products’ value-added production, protect bee populations and their habitats, and prepare producers to supply regional and international markets.
Alongside equipment provision, he said specialists are working with beekeepers countrywide to strengthen their skills.
Meanwhile, he urged producers to take a broader view of the industry’s potential and prepare to compete beyond the domestic market.
“We want Guyana to have a strong export system where we can export our honey.”
He added that investment in apiculture is also creating opportunities for women, young people and indigenous communities to participate in agricultural businesses.
