The Guyana Beekeeping Association will host the fifth Caribbean Beekeeping Congress at the International Convention Centre next week.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture, the five-day meeting, set for November 9 to 14, is being held under the theme ‘Promoting Organic Beekeeping in Guyana and the Caribbean through Strategic Investment.’ The association will host the conference in collaboration with the ministry and the Caribbean Beekeeping Organisation with support from the Inter-American Institute for Corporation.

The congress is held every two years; the fourth congress was held in Trinidad. It aims to bring apiculturists from throughout the Caribbean together to discuss problems and solutions in beekeeping. The agenda is expected to include discussions on problems and solutions in beekeeping and to share the latest information in technology.

According to the release, Guyana’s untouched rainforests makes it an ideal place to produce honey. Traditionally Italian honeybees were reared, but between  1974-75 Africanised bees arrived. Originally, hives were located in the Pomeroon River, West Coast Berbice, Mahaica and the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. However, recently hives have begun to appear in Regions Seven, Eight and Nine – all hinterland regions. There are an estimated 200 beekeepers in Guyana with more than 1,500 hives.