When Andy Paul first attended a beginner’s course in Commercial Beekeeping organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture (IICA), in 2002, he had no idea that would be the start to his career in beekeeping. Paul, thirty- nine ( 39), explained that this training encouraged him to start his own venture, the first formal training he received, as back then, he was only experienced in harvesting bees in the wild.
“That course did something for me; I was looking for a venture that I could mark as my own. I really liked it and I also got my first hive as part of the training,” he said.
After becoming a full-time farmer in 2004, today, after nearly 18 years, he has over 200 hives and produces honey, beeswax, bee pollen and often sells bees to other farmers.
One reason he identified as to why he grew a love for this type of initiative is because he knew of the importance and viability of the industry.
Besides managing his farm, Andy is helping mold young minds and educating young Beekeepers. He said, “I am hoping that we can raise a new breed of Beekeepers that would appreciate being part of a sector where they can learn to appreciate bees and use their skills to assist other Beekeepers.”
He explained that he is sharing knowledge from trainings attended regionally and locally to these young farmers.” I have taught several courses in Beekeeping and this one here, I am working along with the Adult and Teen Challenge Grenada, sharing my skills and talents with the young persons, so they can obtain a Level II CVQ in the field,” he stated.
He sees the training as a start for young persons to go into their own ventures. Additionally, one of his goals is to use the students from the course to form an organisation that can serve as an educational institution for others interested in Apiculture.
While admitting that managing his farm full-time, along with teaching beekeeping, is a challenge he says allowing his past students to share their knowledge and skills have helped.
Paul encourages persons, especially farmers to be mindful of some of their practices, which may impact the bee population. “…if we reduce some of the toxic chemicals that we use or even emissions from factories, along with education on the importance of bees, I think we will learn to value it more.”
Andy aspires to develop his business venture, to satisfy his current market demands, along with increasing production with the aim of exporting products to other countries. He also wants to continue assisting and educating young Beekeepers, as he believes they can make good livelihoods from the sector .
Things to note about Andy:
- He is a full-time farmer and teacher
- He currently teaches Beekeeping as part of project, implemented by the Adult and Teen Challenge Grenada, and sponsored by the Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE project).
- He has over 200 hives.
- He produces honey, beeswax, bee pollen and often sells bees.
If you are interested in learning about Apiculture or purchasing his honey and other products give him a call on (473) 459-3322.
