Potentials for Beekeeping Expansion in the Caribbean

The advantage of increased beekeeping is that it is a small-scale farm and rural activity which can be established at low cost, and does not require private land ownership at all. In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is by far the largest honey producer, with substantial production of beeswax, both of which move into the overseas market, generating hard currency. The recent development of pollen export in that country is another important source of foreign currency. A first step required is the development of a source of package bees and queens, and the needed hardware for hives and associated activities. A second and major step is to inventory the local nectar and pollen plants, as well as time of nectar flow. Bees make honey from nectar, not pollen as a forester erroneously reported in a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. The first author has prepared such a study for Puerto Rico, and a preliminary one for the Caribbean area.