The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment & Sustainable Development and Immigration in collaboration with OIRSA, Belize (Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria) will be conducting a national apiculture survey from 3rd to 21st July 2017.

This survey will start in Toledo District and followed by the Corozal District. This diagnostic assessment is to determine the status of apiaries with a special focus on the presence of pest and disease such as Small Hive Beetle (SHB). Last year, SHB was detected in a number of hives which were located along the north-eastern border of the Corozal District. Through this survey, the Department of Agriculture will also map existing apiaries and update the national honey production database.
As a result, the Department will continue to make technical recommendations to beekeepers and take measures to contain/mitigate the spread of this pest within the beekeeping industry.

The dates for the field visits per district and respective contact District Extension Officers are as follows:
District Dates Contact Person
Toledo 3rd– 6th July Densford Mangar
Stann Creek 7th July Edgar Tuyud
Cayo 10th – 13t July Jessie Madrid
Belize 14th July Vicente Tuyub
Orange Walk 17th – 19th July Federico Chi/Miguel Huertas
Corozal 20th – 21st July Moises Perez

Small Hive Beetle is considered as a high level of threat to the Beekeeping Industry of the country, therefore, the Agriculture Department, asks for the cooperation of all beekeepers when the officers arrive at their apiaries.

For more information, contact
Mr. Mario Howe
Phone #: 804-2079

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