KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) donated bee-keeping equipment valued at $9.266m to 300 bee-keepers from across the island on Thursday at a handover ceremony held at the Bodles Research Station in St Catherine.

Among the equipment donated were hive bodies, hive covers, bee frames and bottom boards.

Minister without Portfolio at MICAF, JC Hutchinson, said the donation was aimed at improving productivity of the over 300 newly established apiaries as well as to contribute to increasing the number of bee hives.

 In addition, the project is aimed at facilitating sustainable self-employment and enhancing income generation among small-scale bee-keepers islandwide.

Noting that bee-keeping is big business, Hutchinson said that the increase in investment projected for the 2017/2018 financial year is expected to produce an additional 15,000 gallons of honey valued at over $90m.

Between April and June of this year, more than 74 new apiaries and approximately 1,000 bee hives valued at over $30m have been established.  An additional 2,000 bee hives are expected to be established by the end of the financial year.

He encouraged the bee-keepers to increase their production and productivity of honey and other hive products and to expand their production of value-added products.

Hutchinson commended the bee-keepers for their role in the growth of the agricultural sector and urged them to abide by the guidelines of the project to ensure its success.