Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer
LUCEA, Hanover:
THE HANOVER Bee Farmers' Association honoured two of its members for outstanding contributions to the industry during its annual fund-raising dinner held in Lucea, Hanover, last Saturday.
The two honourees were president of the All-island Bee Farmers Association, Winfield Murray, and veteran bee farmer Lloyd Myrie. They each received plaques of appreciation from the organisation.
Mr. Myrie, who has been a bee farmer for over 60 years, was lauded as having played an integral role in the revival of the bee-farming industry in Hanover during the 1980s.
During those years, he also provided guidance to young men who are now established bee farmers, and aided in the design, manufacture and sale of bee-keeping equipment among the farmers, when the only alternative was importation.
Mr. Murray, who is also vice-president of the Association of Caribbean Bee Farmers Organi-sation, was praised as being instrumental in introducing many young bee farmers to the industry during the 1980s, and was instrumental in the reorganisation of the Hanover Bee Farmers' Association.
In his address to the gathering, chief apiculture officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Reginald Peddie, praised the Hanover bee farmers for maintaining "the healthiest bees in the island." He also urged the farmers should to do more to attract young people to the industry.
"Many people have not been embracing bee keeping, and we have not made it in a way that is encouraging for youngsters coming in. I know that the industry can generate the income to enable every bee farmer to drive a sport utility vehicle," he said.
INDUSTRY LOSING FARMERS
Mr. Peddie said a recent study conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture has shown that the industry has lost more than 50 per cent of its bee farmers over the last five years as a result of the American fowl brood disease, mites, hurricanes, long droughts and the exorbitant cost of bee-keeping equipment.
He also bemoaned the fact that Jamaica's bee farmers had not sought to diversify the bee product and said that this, along with inefficient practices, was stifling the industry.
"We have been doing this thing inefficiently for over 100 years. It is time bee keepers recognise they have to pull up their socks. It is time they recognise they have to be more efficient, produce more from their hives and try to make it more appealing to young people," Mr. Peddie reiterated.
