Reported by The Star Staff
In an effort to bolster the beekeeping industry on the island, Agriculture Secretary Ramón González Beiró distributed 1,405 hive boxes to the eight farming regions on Thursday.
The Secretary emphasized the significance of this investment for a sector that has experienced a downturn in recent times.
“We are revitalizing beekeeping with the provision of these hive boxes, enabling the industry to flourish and turn into a lucrative sector for honey production,” González Beiró remarked. “In the past four years, we have provided vital resources to our beekeepers […] acknowledging that a solid agricultural foundation starts with our beekeepers, who nurture, safeguard, and study the bees to facilitate the pollination of our crops.”
He further noted that “as we have intensified our efforts to expand beekeeping in Puerto Rico, transitioning it from a hobby to a thriving industry, our beekeepers now engage in all agency programs with the same support as any other agricultural sector, and we have supplied 2,600 hive boxes.”
At the hive distribution gathering in Yahuecas, Adjuntas, the 82 beekeepers present also participated in a workshop focused on the trap panel method for controlling the Varroa mite, a significant threat to bees.
“There is a revitalization in the beekeeping sector due to these initiatives,” commented apiculturist Daniel Pérez, who teaches at the College of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus.
