A swarm of Honeybees in
May is worth a ton of hay
A swarm of Honeybees in
June is worth a silver spoon
A swarm of Honeybees in
July ain’t worth a fly
Old Beekeepers adage
The scourge of Colony
Collapse Disorder has not yet begun to affect our Jamaican beekeepers. It has
been affecting beekeepers in the United States of America and Canada for the
last four (4) years has now worsened.
This mysterious problem
that has been affecting the Honeybees has serious implications for their
Agriculture Sector as stated in the article " Bees
in more trouble than ever after bad winter" published Wednesday March
24, 8:05 am ET By GARANCE BURKE and SETH BORENSTEIN, Associated Press Writers, Yahoo! News.
Without Honeybees to
pollinate the numerous hundreds of fruit trees after such a harsh winter this
year, the result will be a massive loss and a significant reduction in
agricultural output. For the first time that the great United States of America
will be unable to sufficiently feed it growing population.
The other main product of
Honeybees, Honey, which the Americans mostly use as a sweetener in everything
from Corn Flakes to Soft Drinks, will also be in short supply due to this
problem suspected to be related to pesticides. Even HFCS (High Fructose Corn
Syrup) another commercial sweetener will be in short supply, as Honeybees also
pollinate the corn used to make this sweetener.
It is the hives in the
southern part of the country that are largely unaffected by Colony Collapse Disorder.
However, they do not have enough Honeybees to supply the colder north and their
own farmers in their area.
Colony Collapse Disorder – Why Jamaica must help
American Beekeepers
The timing could not be
more opportune as it appears that we have inadvertently stumbled upon an
opportunity as golden as the Logwood Honey our Honeybees, unaffected by the
tragedy in the United States of America, present.
It seems too that fortune
is playing into our hands, as no less than the Government of Japan, who have
given the Ministry of Agriculture a US$8.5 million grant as stated in a news
report in Local News Segment of Prime
Time News, aired Wednesday 31st March 2010 on Television Jamaica. This is to
encourage the increase in the production of our unique Logwood Honey produced
by our local Honeybees, which if more Jamaican had their qualities, would
result in golden opportunities for our people.
So the connection to us
Jamaicans beekeepers becomes obvious.
This potential shortage
of these very essential six legged pollinators in the United States of America,
the opportunity presents itself for the Government of Jamaica to make a push to
export. We can not only export our beloved Logwood Honey but also Honeybees in
order to aid the Americans and Canadians in having enough of these creatures to
prevent their Agriculture Sector from collapse.
This is very important,
as if the American and Canadian Agricultural Sector collapse, food prices would
skyrocket. Coupled with the current rice shortage in Jamaica and our dependence
on food exports from the United States of America, it is in our best interest
to assist America!
Jamaican and USA - Christopher “Dudus” Coke
Affair is over
Despite our current
impasse with regards to the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke and now the
Manatt Phelps and Phillips Affair as stated in the article “Dudus vs USA”,
published Friday June 25th 2010
by Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This is also intertwined
with the extradition affair and inextricably linked to the United States of
America. This impasse has now been resolved, with Christopher “Dudus” Coke in
the Custody of the people in the United States of America as noted in the article
“‘Dudus’
in NY court today – Former Tivoli don’s extradition ends ten-month drama”,
published Friday June 25th 2010
by Paul Henry, Observer Staff
Reporter, The Jamaica Observer.
Evidence is now emerging
that indicates that he indeed had links to other organized crime criminals in the
United States of America as stated in the article “'Dudus' had
American admirers”, published
Friday June 25 2010 12:15:23, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
Jamaican Honeybee Diplomacy – Better ambassadors
than Chinese Pandas
Amusingly, Honeybees and
their Honey supplied to the United States of America and Canada could be more
effective ambassadors than even Audrey Marks. Her appointment was confirmed on
Thursday March 25th 2010
as stated in the article “Mark! Set! Go!
- US says its' awaiting 'credentials'” published Thursday March 25th 2010 by Desmond Allen, The Jamaica Observer.
This appears to be to the
liking of the Americans, despite not yet having presented her credentials as
yet to the Americans. Imagine just for some Honeybees, not only could Jamaican
Farmers utilize the Government of Japan’s grant to boost production solely for
export to the United States of America but the deal could help “sweeten” the
currently bitter relations between us and our now increasingly aggressive Uncle
Sam.
Their beekeepers are
definitely going to be in need of importing Honeybees from Jamaica, not wanting
to risk importing Honeybees from South America. Those Honeybees from that
region had been cross bred with African Honeybees (Apis Meliffera Adansonii)
in the 1960’s by Brazilian Apiculturist Warwick Kerr in a bid to improve the
productivity of the European Honeybees.
Africans Honeybees
produce 30% more Honey but are more aggressive that European Honeybees. So my idea of Honeybee Diplomacy would be a
hit with Americans, especially as they’re a lot more useful than Chinese Pandas!
Let us extradite – I mean
export – some of our Honeybees to assist the Americans beekeepers or the Fourth
of July fireworks will be a bittersweet celebration what with the shortage of
the pollinators and their golden sweet!
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