The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security has announced that it will distribute 600 pounds of pollen substitute valued at US $13,500, to local beekeepers, following the damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July, this year.
The donation is being done in collaboration with the Barbados Apiculture Association and the Association of Caribbean Beekeepers Organizations (ACBAO).
According to Senior Agricultural Assistant, Bernard Thompson, the aid is expected to support the bee population, which plays a crucial role in agriculture and food production.
Speaking during a recent press briefing at the Ministry’s Graeme Hall, Christ Church headquarters, Mr. Thompson said: “Storm force winds like those brought by [Hurricane] Beryl often cause extensive damage to trees, stripping them bare of foliage, which in turn affects pollinators such as bees. The destruction left behind in Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, and Jamaica has had a significant impact on our agriculture, especially here in Barbados, where bees are critical for pollination.”
The 600 pounds of bee pollen substitute was donated by ACBAO, in partnership with Mann Lake Bee and Agriculture Supplies and Greater Good Charities. The donation will serve as a crucial source of protein for bees, which will help to sustain their populations during the current dearth of natural pollen sources.
Vice President of the Barbados Apiculture Association, David Small, emphasised the importance of ensuring that all beekeepers benefit from the donation.
“We encourage all beekeepers, whether registered with the Ministry, or the Barbados Apiculture Association, to come forward and collect their share of the pollen substitute. Our donors have specifically requested that this aid reaches every beekeeper in Barbados,” Mr. Small said.
He noted that the pollen could be used dry by placing it under a covered container, or wet with some honey or water to make a patty, and added that “the bees will be able to find it”.
Beekeepers are urged to contact the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate the collection of the pollen substitute. For further information or to arrange collection, beekeepers should call the Ministry at 535-5100 or 535-5226.