MONTEGO BAY, St James — The nation could be facing a severe honey shortage by the end of the year as the long-term effects of last October’s Hurricane Melissa continue to cripple the beekeeping industry, according to president of the St James Bee Farmers’ Association Dennis McKay.

He said even the intense heat now being felt across the country pales in comparison to the lingering effects of the Category 5 storm.

“It’s not so much the heat that is the crisis for the bees. Probably the major problem at this time is the impact of the hurricane and the trees that are missing. The storm turned down all the trees that provide the nectar and the pollen that support the bees. They are unable to get the nectar, so they cannot get enough nectar to store that we can get honey,” McKay told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday.