Saint Lucia’s First Solarised Processing Honey Plant has officially been opened. This, as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development strives to ensure more sustainable production and processing across the agriculture sector in order to increase Saint Lucia’s Food Security.

The buzz of another milestone achieved within the apiculture sub-sector is placing the limelight on the Orising Brothers, a pioneering group of brothers who have set their hearts on transforming the industry through the initiation of sustainable business and apiculture practices. Their latest feat, the formal opening of Saint Lucia’s first solarised Honey Production Plant, comes after months of support from the Agriculture Ministry and funding investments from the Global Environmental Fund Small Grants Program.

In recognizing the importance of the processing plant in ensuring the preservation of ecosystems, the Chief Veterinary Officer attached to the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture says this latest development is a positive nod in the direction of sustainable expansion within sector, and is another tangible manifestation in favour of ministerial actions towards sustainable livestock farming, production and improving food security.

Dr. Sharmine Melville-Edwin explains how this groundbreaking initiative will be of benefit to Saint Lucia.

“There are lots of benefits that people are becoming aware of and there are increasing demands for honey but we are unable to meet these demands. There is a need to expand the number of colonies, increase capacity and organize the industry. The organization of the industry involves standardizing and certifying the existing extraction plants for food safety and quality and developing extraction flows. “

Bees not only serve as environmental indicators, they also contribute to interconnected ecosystems that are responsible for the existence of a wide range of species. They are also renowned for their role in providing high-quality food and other products used in healthcare, cosmetics and other sectors.

National Coordinator of the GEF SGP UNDP, Giles Romulus states that the success of the agriculture economy is heavily reliant on sustainable practices and infrastructure that conserve and restore the ecosystem from which beekeepers and other constituents derive their livelihood. In this regard, the entity has been working with the Orising Brothers to improve their production methods and practices.

“We want to discover continuous ways of using honey in our food in all kinds of different processes. Let us discover. We are going to push people to find ways to effectively use honey both in medicine and in a gastronomic sense and if there are opportunities for patience we will push that as well. Another thing we want to introduce is the whole concept of apitherapy. ”

As bees are responsible for one-third of the world’s food production, the increasing need for growth in the honey production sector in Saint Lucia is realized. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Food Security and Rural Development remains steadfast in their focus to ensure bee health and development within the livestock sector.