The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security will distribute 600 pounds of pollen substitute to local beekeepers following the damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July.
The donation valued at US$13 500 (BDS$27 000) is being done in collaboration with the Barbados Apiculture Association and the Association of Caribbean Beekeepers Organisations (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.
“Storm force winds like those brought by 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,” he said.
The 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 sustain their populations during the dearth of natural pollen sources.
Vice President of the Barbados Apiculture Association, David Small, said it was important 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,” he said.
Small explained 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 “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.
(BGIS/BT)
