Last Updated on November 6, 2021, 6:00 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre: St. Kitts ECO Park will soon be home to a new beekeeping and biodiversity project sponsored by the UNDP Small Grants Country Program of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), said Carlene Henry-Morton, Permanent Secretary ( PS) of the Ministry of Tourism, during a special show Working for You on November 3.
The project is a global initiative to establish a sustainable beekeeping or beekeeping industry in six Caribbean nations, including St. Kitts and Nevis; Dominica; Grenade; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Samoa in the Pacific.
“The project endeavours to successfully undertake the facilitation of the establishment and growth of two apiaries, one in St. Kitts and the other in Nevis. Each country will start with around 10 and the St. Kitts Ecological Park has been selected for its emphasis on environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation,” said Henry-Morton.
“Its aim is to provide technical support and improve the skills of honey producer groups to achieve sustainable livelihoods for people in our rural communities, in particular through the sale of local honey and the use of wax, etc. in the production of by-products … ”
PS Henry-Morton said relevant stakeholders will work closely with St. Kitts and Nevis beekeepers to develop the sector.
“We want to facilitate the participation of beekeepers and small beekeepers in all the trainings organized within the framework of the project. So it’s not just about throwing money away, it’s about improving skills as well, ”she said. “We are going to participate in the redistribution of whole hives to beekeeping groups with the aim of supporting food security and the livelihood of the members. So the idea is that we start with 10 at Eco Park and then once we take care of those hives, we have around 20. We hold on to the original 10 and that second batch of 10 we give two to a group at Sandy Point, two to some people in Molineux … to start their little business. ”
She added that when her business branches out, they will help others grow theirs. She noted that according to research, there are currently only 75 managed hives in the Federation.
“The idea is to move those 75 to more than 300. And we know that there is a large market for local honey, there is a large market for wax, and so on to make candles and all sorts of body products. It is a way of generating and improving income, decent livelihoods and training,” said the permanent secretary.
The project, which is expected to be implemented in November 2021, is estimated at EC $ 882,300.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
