By Charlene Bharatt Wednesday, April 9 2008

Consumers who purchase honey on a regular basis to satisfy their sweet tooth and diet will have no choice but to put their cravings on hold as grocers have reported a shortage of the product on the local market.

A member of the managerial staff of Gopaul and Co Ltd, one of the country’s largest suppliers of honey revealed that stocks were low. He said the reason behind this is the recent inclement weather.

He said the apiaries which supply the company with honey are located in Sangre Grande, an area prone to prevalent rainfall. This prevented bee farmers from harvesting their 2007 crop. According to him, this resulted in the noted shortage, however, he predicts that apiaries would soon be processed and honey supplies would be replenished.

Irfaan Mustapha, manager of Honey Bee Supermarket in El Socorro, one of the country’s most popular suppliers of honey, said there has been a glitch in the market for a considerable period of time because of global warming and changing weather patterns.

Mustapha explained heavy rainfall inhibits the abundance of flowers to supply bees with pollen and nectar which in turn causes the bees to produce a small volume of honey. He added that other factors such as diseases and predators also affect how much honey the bees produce. He said their packaged product which is sold specifically in their store is running low. As a result of this, they have to depend on supplies from other suppliers.

The shortage was confirmed by employees from groceries from various parts of the country. The manager of Dollar Value in Chaguanas said she has some stocks remaining, however, she is awaiting an order which she hopes will arrive soon.

Similarly, the manager of JTA Supermarket, Carlton Centre, San Fernando, said they have not received honey for the past month and a half although they have orders inside. He said the stocks were low at all four branches.

An employee at Xtra Foods in Grand Bazaar said they have not been able to replenish their shelves in two months because of the unavailability of the product.

Among one of the more fortunate groceries was Debe Supermarket Ltd which had an ample supply of honey. An employee said that they were supplied by many sources, therefore, their stocks remained high.

Honey roasted peanuts vendor, Farrell, who sells on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, said he has not noticed any shortage. He bought his honey from an old man who brought stocks every week.

An official from the Apiaries Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources said a range of factors could be held responsible for the shortage. He said that heavy rains and irregular weather patterns contribute to a poor honey crop because bees rarely go in search of pollen during rainfall. He added that deforestation has also caused honey supplies to dwindle.

The Apiaries Unit is responsible for providing information on bee farming and does not supply the local market. Private bee farmers provide local groceries and food stores with honey.