CAMAGUEY, Cuba, Jan 24 (ACN) Camagüey’s beekeepers have started the current year ready to grow in their honey deliveries and progressively approach the thousand tons, after the good result of 2021, when they surpassed the production of the prized foodstuff.
After the 913.7 tons in 2021, one of the highest in its history, the territory is in better conditions to surpass that figure with the aim of approaching the historical record of 1,080 tons achieved 39 years ago, as ratified to the Cuban News Agency by authorized representatives of the Camagüey Beekeeping Business Unit.
Although the plan foreseen for 2022 is 844.6 tons, those who are part of the sector in the province aspire to surpass it, taking as a reference the previous favorable result, in a period of limited resources, and the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local beekeepers also exceeded their plans in wax and propolis orders, as well as in queen bee breeding, the latter being indispensable for increasing the population in the hives, explained Oraida Morales Quiñones, chief specialist of the Economic Labor Group.
For this year, they have a plan of 14,781 kilograms (kg) of wax and 1,393 kg of propolis, both exportable items, and in the case of propolis, they are used by the biopharmaceutical industry for the production of medicines and cosmetics.
Camaguey currently has 18,004 beehives, deployed in the 13 municipalities.
Cuba surpassed the honey production last year, and beekeepers developed a park of more than 200,500 hives, also registered sales for export that exceeded 46 million pesos.