SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, March 9. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Cabildo de Tenerife will lead a program for the selection and improvement of the black bee on the Island, an endemic species of the Archipelago, to guarantee the survival of the species and improve the quality of production.
The black bee – thus known for its dark appearance that contrasts with bees from other latitudes – traditionally existed in the wild in the natural environment thanks to its adaptation to the environment and the Canarian climate and has become an integral part of the specific biodiversity of the islands.
The island councilor for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Javier Parrilla, indicated that the beekeeping sector has been working on its hives for years to prevent their disappearance and this program “hopes to improve fertility, analyze its characteristics and reduce possible diseases.”
The Minister proposed the implementation of this program during the celebration of the Beekeeping Table of Tenerife, a body that brings together the main representatives of the honey sector on the Island to study and plan the proposals and measures for this year. The meeting was attended by Apiten, Abecan, ADS Abecan, Isora Beekeeping Association, Canarian Beekeeping Association, ATA and North Tenerife Beekeeping Association.
During the meeting, Parrilla reminded the attendees that this year the Cabildo has allocated an item of 92,000 euros for the complementary feeding of the bees. This aid will be used to combat the flowering deficit in the face of climate change, which occurs with periods of low rainfall and poor flowering. The counselor clarified that it will be the associations themselves that will choose the type of food they prefer, and that this amount will be distributed according to the number of hives registered on the island.
Javier Parrilla also announced that this year the local wax laminating service will once again be offered free of charge, a service offered through the Casa de la Miel de Tenerife. “It is important to make beekeepers and beekeepers in Tenerife aware of the reuse of the wax generated by their own hives, not only for compliance criteria with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), but also for health security, since these waxes from from other countries their traceability is unknown and they can present problems of toxicity or proliferation of diseases to the hives,” he said.
HONEY CONTEST.
Parrilla took advantage of the meeting to highlight the importance of the Regional Honey Contest, organized by the Casa de la Miel de Tenerife, which will celebrate its twenty-sixth edition this year; “a state reference contest that we must maintain and promote by modifying some criteria, such as the number of samples to be submitted by beekeeper, in order to be able to opt for various categories”.
The XXVI Regional Honey Contest aims to promote the quality of the honey product throughout the region, and will give consumers the opportunity to learn about the best honey that is being produced, as well as recognizing the work of local producers in improving the quality of its productions.
The PDO Miel de Tenerife, “unique in the world”, covers the entire territory of the island of Tenerife, and covers the following monofloral honeys: Teide Broom Honey, Tajinaste Honey, Avocado Honey, Chestnut Honey, Brezal, Relinchón Honey, Barrilla Honey, Fennel Honey, Pennyroyal Honey, Agave Honey (Pitera), Malpica Honey, and Tedera Honey.
The Insular Beekeeping Board has not been convened since 2015, “and the Cabildo opted for its recovery in 2020, as a body for consultation and debate, and it has been very useful to meet the demands of the different groups in the sector, for the development of effective and realistic policies in the field of beekeeping”, added the minister.
NEW SUPPORT LINES
For their part, the representatives of the associations transferred to the counselor the possibility of opening new lines of support for the beekeeping sector. They expressed their uncertainty regarding the reduction of beekeeping transhumance in the Teide National Park, as well as the reforestation programs in Arico-Fasnia.
In this regard, Parrilla reported that allegations have been submitted to the Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG) of the Teide National Park for the regulation of beekeeping transhumance, which has more than 500 years of coexistence. In the same way, “the predominant use of honey species in beekeeping areas or with potential for this use has also been transferred to the competent administrations in plant reforestation.”
