Beekeeping in Antigua and Barbuda

The eye of the Category 5 hurricane passed directly over Barbuda, causing catastrophic damage, particularly to its agricultural and fishing sectors, including crops, livestock, bees, infrastructure, and equipment.

This initiative emphasizes organic agriculture, food safety compliance, water-efficient farming, intensive small ruminant systems, value-chain development, and biodiversity preservation.

Conducted by local consultants from IICA with virtual support from the FAO Sub-regional Office, the program focused on building capacity among new beekeepers, particularly in producing logwood honey.

Further training sessions in the honey value chain were conducted in Antigua from August 19–31, 2021, involving 20 established and new beekeepers, along with technical staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, and Barbuda Affairs.

Approximately $3,000 worth of the materials were designated for Barbuda to aid local farmers as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild the island’s agricultural sector, which suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

Craig Thomas, an IICA national specialist, noted that the organizations continued to monitor and evaluate their efforts through workshops and capacity-building sessions in Barbuda.

Craig Thomas, IICA’s National Specialist, explained in an interview with the Antigua Observer that the initial project proposal, submitted in 2019 in partnership with Brent Georges, President of the Beekeepers Cooperative, was unsuccessful.

According to June Jackson, acting executive director of the GARD Centre, the initiative aimed to empower participants to establish their own businesses in apiculture and related industries.

[1] The Longstroth Hive, which is utilized in Antigua and Barbuda despite the presence of drought, typically produces a yield of sixty to seventy pounds (five and a half to four gallons) annually.