PROPOSED changes to TT’s beekeeping legislation, the Beekeeping and Bee Products Act, are causing much more than buzz among local beekeepers.
The local beekeeping and honey industry boasts approximately 500 registered beekeepers and 150 independent beekeepers with the All TT Apiculture Co-operative Society (ATTAC) estimating over 10,000 hives across TT.
The TT Beekeepers Association (TTBA) estimates that local consumption of honey accounts for an estimated $100 million in revenue annually.
The amendments proposed by Minister of Agriculture Kazim Hosein have been on Senate’s order paper since November 2023 and are currently listed as a motion.
These changes pose significant challenges for beekeepers, who view them as a potential threat to their livelihoods and the sustainability of the local honey industry. The new regulations could stifle an important sector, create barriers that discourage new entrants, and jeopardize the integrity of locally produced honey, which is world-renowned for its purity and quality.
These challenges led Khafre Pilgrim, a 27-year-old beekeeper from Five Rivers, Arouca, to voice his concerns on social media. Pilgrim’s passion for beekeeping began when his family discovered a swarm in a cherry tree at their home.
“I didn’t get to see what they looked like, so when I got home my mom told me about it. I kind of YouTubed it at the time and I saw what they looked like and from there on I just kind of fell in love with bees,” he explained.
This fascination led him to research beekeeping and eventually buy his first equipment. He started his business, Pharaoh Apiaries, by buying bees from a respected local beekeeper, Mr. Benjamin, to start his own apiary (a colony or a collection of two or more colonies of bees in hives).
“I bought colonies (a hive containing bees or a queen bee with the necessary number of drones and worker bees) from him alone to start, and this year I bought a few more from another beekeeper.”
What began as a hobby has now become a full-fledged business, with Pilgrim now managing 40-50 colonies across his apiaries in Lopinot, Arouca, and Williamsville in south Trinidad.
Honey production can be highly variable, influenced by factors like hive location, weather, and the availability of nectar-producing trees.
[caption id="attachment_1087114" align="alignnone" width="948"] Khafre Pilgrim shows a hive that was removed from a home.PHOTOs BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
“Sangre Grande, Blanchisseuse, Toco…Those kinds of places have trees that have a high volume of and that more or less dictate the whole production,” Pilgrim said.
In 2023, Pilgrim’s 25 colonies, containing approximately 1.6 million bees, produced two barrels of honey and between 50 and 70 pounds of beeswax, even with less-than-ideal weather conditions. This yield has an estimated value between $57,500 and $109,100 depending on whether the products are sold wholesale or retail.
Pilgrim pointed out that most of his income is reinvested into the business.
“The numbers I’m giving you there is pro
