FOR the first time in 15 years, Portland bee farmers were unable to reap honey in April — the month for their highest production — a situation Portland Bee Farmers Association President Bernard Walker says is a result of a change in the blossoming pattern of flora in the north-eastern parish.

He estimated that bee farmers in Portland have lost approximately 1,000 gallons of honey due to them missing their first major honey flow of the year, which, he said, equates to a conservative loss of $14 million.

“When I have discussions with the different farmers, they are all experiencing the same thing. Mango used to blossom holistically during December. We realised that mango was blossoming in its full glory in March, and this is not what we’re used to in Portland. By March, the mango really tapered off and then they moved into different crops that were blossoming, but we realised that most of the blossoming took place in March, so the time that they normally flower shifted somewhat,” he explained.