Honey-glazed success
Student among Sagicor Community Heroes relishes beekeeping project’s impact
Published:Thursday | December 23, 2021 | 12:11 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
A revolving beekeeping project that is creating a buzz in Tranquility, Portland, has earned Demar Demontagnac one of 50 Sagicor Community Heroes Awards.
A marketing student at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) and 2018 Prime Minister’s Youth Award recipient, community development has always been foremost in his mind.
“I thought about what I could do to assist the residents in our community because unemployment is a major issue - we have a lot of unattached youths and single mothers. I realised that a beekeeping project would be beneficial to our community,” he recounted, adding the beekeeping project was simple and sweetly rewarding.
Buff Bay Valley is an ideal location for tapping into the apiculture industry as bees assist with pollinating coffee farms in the area.
With the assistance of Uriah Walker, secretary of the Tranquility Community Development Committee and an apicultural lecturer at CASE, Demontagnac prepared a proposal for funding from the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid Program in 2019.
The 26-year-old told The Gleaner that he missed the deadline due to a miscalculation of the time difference, but after making a phone call to explain his predicament, the portal was reopened.
Demontagnac’s application was successful, and he was awarded funding to the tune of US$21,806, which he used to purchase equipment, beekeeping gear, and pay an instructor to guide participants through theory and practical sessions.
“Each person receives three colonies of bees at the start of the season and is required to give back a colony of bees to the pool within a six-month period to keep the project going. Most people tend to give back more than one, and that helps us to impact more people,” Demontagnac said.
Millicent Walker, a participant in her 30s, told The Gleaner that the beekeeping project has given community members a welcome boost in income, creating jobs for many.
“Since the inception of this project, my livelihood has changed drastically, thanks to all who have made this project a total success. I am sure that many others will share the same testimony,” she said.
Walker said that having started out with three colonies, she now owns five, which allows her to make an average of $30,000 each season.
“An eight-year-old is the youngest person we have trained. So far, 15 persons have graduated and others would have benefited even though they were not formally enrolled. We are now looking to train 15 more people. Due to COVID-19, sales are down, but production is still ongoing, and we are trying to expand the colony,” Demontagnac revealed.
The honey, branded Rose Gold Multifloral Honey, is generally sold to the community development committee, which markets and sells it on the bee farmers’ behalf.
A honey bar is currently under construction in Rose Hill district, where products will also be available for sale, noted Demontagnac, adding that the community, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, and the Social Development Commission (SDC) have all been supportive of the project.
Demontagnac was nominated by SDC officer Tanya Sinclair for the Sagicor award, for which he got a $50,000 cash prize.
“This award is for the community. I can’t take all the credit because it is a team of us who work hard to keep the project going. I am truly grateful for this award, and it will be hung up in the community development office,” he remarked.
Demontagnac hopes his story will inspire more young people to begin giving back to Jamaica through volunteerism.