Development of Jamaican Apitherapy Products Proposed

Agri Ministry Moves to Expand Honey Production
John Myers Jr/Rasbert Turner, Jamaica Gleaner News, 4/17/2006

The Ministry of Agriculture is moving to increase honey production to meet the increasing demand for local honey on the international market.

The ministry, through its Apiculture Unit, has been actively recruiting and training farmers in bee keeping and husbandry islandwide to meet this demand. The first batch of 28 young farmers graduated from the Bodles Research Centre in Old Harbour, St. Catherine on April 6…

Winfield Murray, president of the All-Island Bee Farmers Association (AIBFA) said "based on the local and international demand for Jamaican honey, the bee industry has the potential to be a 'gold mine'."…

Mr. Murray said there is the potential to develop value-added products, such as candles, hair oil, body lotion, bath gel, bee wax, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, gift packaging, from the bee industry.

He noted that the potential for the development of value-added products provides the opportunity for the generation of significant income for the small, medium and large farmers…