Jamaicans are being encouraged to help sustain the bee population to boost food security efforts, through backyard gardening and planting more flowers, by Senior Plant Protection Officer in the Apiculture Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Gregory Lynch.

In an interview with JIS News at the 72nd staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, recently, Lynch said when you look at the economic importance of the honeybee as pollinators, bees increase your yield by 30 per cent.

“So, if you have bees around where you have crops that are producing fruit you can expect to get at least a 30 per cent yield. We must take care of our bees because they are that important,” he emphasised.