GAF
New genetic center in Guantánamo produces queen bees
A new genetic center to increase queen bee production was created by beekeepers from the La Sorpresa agroecological farm, belonging to the Cooperativa de Creditos y Servicios Fortalecida Luis Rustán (CCSF), in the municipality of Guantánamo.
The enclosure favors the renewal of insects in 25 hives, the breeding of swarms with higher quality and the achievement of higher yields in the sustainable production of organic honey, with the use of clean technologies and circular economy methods, which implies sharing, repair, renew and recycle existing materials and products, to create added value. In the fields close to the genetic center, breeders use pollination in cucurbitaceous plants (Cucurbitaceae), such as squash (Cucurbita maxima), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (Cucumis melo), widely used in human and animal nutrition. . These actions aim at creating new sources of employment and improving the remuneration of producers, who received training to enrich their knowledge and develop essential skills in the management of apiaries. The queen bee is the driving force behind the development of beekeeping. If quality specimens capable of sustaining between 70 and 80 thousand bees are produced, the hive has a better chance of producing enough offspring and providing the desired amount of honey. With the change of queens, production can increase between 15 and 30 percent, because those under 12 months of age lay more eggs than those over one year of age. The colonies that have more individuals during flowering are the most productive. The strategic program for the development of the sector in Guantánamo, until 2030, is ambitious and foresees the increase of all the products of the hive, which contribute about 20 million dollars annually to the Ministry of Agriculture, part of which is invested in the acquisition of inputs and resources for breeders. Rich in mineral salts, iron, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins, honey is a food with therapeutic, cleansing, antioxidant and energetic qualities. It is also used in cosmetics (creams, facial cleansing masks, tonics ...) due to its astringent and softening qualities.
