Govt steps up support for budding beekeepers amid hurdles

Faced with steep equipment costs and a scarcity of land, aspiring beekeepers in Barbados are getting a helping hand from agriculture authorities, who say they are determined to grow the industry into a thriving, sustainable business—despite persistent barriers that continue to frustrate many newcomers.

The Ministry of Agriculture held the closing ceremony for its latest beekeeping training workshop at Graeme Hall, Christ Church, where 30 participants—including two children—completed the intensive six-day course. The initiative, which officials estimate costs more than $75 per participant per day plus equipment valued at $500 per kit (totalling close to $30 000), is part of a broader effort to build capacity and expand apiculture across the island.

Senior Agricultural Officer Bernard Thompson, who coordinates the training, told Barbados TODAY that while interest in beekeeping has grown, the expense of getting started continues to deter many.

“If we got this great opportunity, what’s holding us back right now is that it’s very expensive,” he said. “One other issue right now that a lot of people face is land. Where am I going to set up my apiary? The programme would have offered land to some beekeepers, but they don’t have an endless land bank. And urban beekeeping—that’s why we would love to have it—the issue is that a lot of Barbadians are still afraid of bees. The moment they realise that you have bees, let’s say in your backyard, all of a sudden everybody now becomes allergic.”

Despite these barriers, Thompson stressed that the ministry is actively supporting new entrants, from supplying starter kits and hive boxes to mentoring participants until they can manage colonies independently.

“The hope is that once we give you the equipment, we are going to mentor you until you fully establish yourself and can manage your own apiary,” he explained. “We take you through that process… we will go out with them, make sure they get bees, and at least make sure that they’re set to do actual beekeeping rather than just having the knowledge and not being engaged.”

PS in the Ministry of Agriculture, Terry Bascombe (right) presents the youngest participant, nine-year-old Nkosana Smith (centre) with a certificate and a hive kit as senior agricultural officer Bernard Thompson (left)

Each participant was issued what officials describe as a ‘hive kit’ containing a brood box, ten frames, foundations, a bottom board, and both inner and outer covers. Alongside this, the training incorporated practical fieldwork— from bee removals to plant identification tours—as well as sessions on pests, diseases and honey extraction.

“Once we train you, we don’t just leave you. We put those folks on our beekeeper’s registry… and we keep in touch over time.”

Barbados currently has more than 1 270 colonies and 198 apiaries on record, with 137 active beekeepers, although 520 are on the books. The ministry has set a goal to hold at least four training courses annually—both beginner and advanced—with the long-term aim of expanding the number of practitioners and forming cooperatives.

“We want to push beekeeping cooperatives,” Thompson said. “The first one was registered in May of this year, and we want to push them because there’s strength in numbers. We don’t just want to train people, and they’re not being active beekeepers.”

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Terry Bascombe described the industry as having immense untapped value, noting that honey is only one of many products.

“When you say beekeeping, in my view it limits persons to the understanding that all it is, is keeping bees, making honey and selling honey,” he told participants. “I did not have a full appreciation of the value of apiculture when I first came to the ministry, but it has grown on me over the years. The Honourable Prime Minister has expressed a significant interest in apiculture as well, and she has given the ministry a mandate to ensure that the sector grows.”

Bascombe urged trainees to pursue value added opportunities and develop careers rather than hobbies. “What we want to encourage in Barbados is for persons to move to the level where they engage in value-added activity. There are lots of things besides honey, as we know, that can come from other products… you can actually build careers and viable businesses that can be sustained in apiculture, and we certainly will give you as much assistance as we can.”

The training attracted not only Barbadians but also regional participants. Georgette Richards of St Kitts and Nevis described it as “a reminder and refresher” that reinforced the potential for beekeeping to support livelihoods in her homeland. “We have the liquid honey, soaps, lip balms, candles, eco-tours,” she said, noting that the biggest challenge in her country was “importing the necessary equipment at an affordable cost or price”.

Veteran Barbadian beekeeper and trainer David Small said the week-long course was deliberately hands-on, exposing participants to every stage of managing hives and handling bees.

He said: “We started with how to get started in beekeeping—identifying the equipment, how to light a smoker, and how to set up the box. Yesterday, we went out and did a cut-out, showing them how to take a hive from a feral colony and put it in a box to manage them. On Saturday we’re going on a tour to identify bee plants, and those who didn’t get to do the cut-out will get that chance as well.”

The programme also covered bee behaviour, pests and diseases—including how to guard against the destructive Varroa mite—as well as the safe extraction of honey. Participants were even tasked with producing honey cakes for judging, in line with regional standards being promoted through the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The two youngest participants were nine-year-old Nkosana Smith of Great Kids Elementary and 12-year-old Hezekiah Small of Harrison College.

“I’ve learnt how to make a bee box, how to prevent swarming and many other things,” said Smith. “My grandfather is a beekeeper and I just want to follow in his steps… I want to put my best foot forward and help Barbados.”

Small, equally passionate, said his main motivation was honey. “Most of the products bees produce are very expensive, and people are complaining about pure honey not being pure,” he explained. “I was thinking maybe I can come here, learn about bees and sell pure Bajan honey and create a company.”

Both boys called for apiculture to be taught in schools, with Small noting: “It can educate more people about bees because now, most of the time when a Bajan sees a bee, they usually kill it, which isn’t really nice. And now most of the bees in the world are dying.” (SZB)