Producers
APASA — Asociación de Productores Apícolas del Sur de Anzoátegui
beekeepers' association · honey-producer collective
Southern Anzoátegui / Mesa de Guanipa, Anzoátegui, Venezuela
APASA is a Venezuelan association representing beekeepers in southern Anzoátegui, especially the Mesa de Guanipa. The group produces honey shaped by wild flowering, notably mastranto, and is led by its president, Manuel Bernáez. APASA is a producer collective rather than a documented single-brand honey company; no official website or product catalogue was located in this focused pass.
About the Producer
A little history
APASA has been publicly documented since at least May 2011, when it presented products made with mastranto honey under the name Asociación de Apicultores de la Mesa de Guanipa. Later coverage uses the expanded name Asociación de Productores Apícolas del Sur de Anzoátegui. The available record suggests continuity around the APASA acronym and Manuel Bernáez's leadership, but does not establish a formal incorporation date or legal-name history.
How They Work
Beekeeping in practice
APASA is a membership-based association of beekeepers that produces and markets honey from southern Anzoátegui. In 2025, its president reported 32 affiliated beekeepers managing about 6,000 hives; coverage also distinguishes a separate group of independent producers in the region. The association has discussed plans for processing and certification, but a working collective processing plant or certification has not been verified.
Mesa de Guanipa, Anzoátegui, Venezuela
APASA-associated reporting identifies Mesa de Guanipa as the area where mastranto honey is produced; a 2025 account describes the area's climate, wild flowering, and freshwater reserves as conditions supporting the regional honey sector.
Southern Anzoátegui, Venezuela
APASA is described as a southern-Anzoátegui beekeeping association. A 2025 profile places active apiaries in the broader southern zone, including an area between El Tigre and Cantaura near the Chimire outcrops; this is regional activity reporting, not proof that every APASA member harvests there.
El Tigre, Anzoátegui, Venezuela
El Tigre is documented as the venue of a 2011 APASA product presentation and a 2018 meeting between APASA beekeepers and authorities. These records support public activity in El Tigre but not a formal base or honey-harvest origin.
Products & Specimens
What connects to this producer
Products listed by the Producer are kept separate from specimens held in the Collection.
Miel de mastranto
Floral source: Mastranto
Documented origin: Mesa de Guanipa, southern Anzoátegui, Venezuela
Origin detail: Region
In 2011, APASA's president referred to mastranto honey produced in the Mesa de Guanipa, and the association displayed products derived from it. This supports a regional claim for APASA-associated mastranto honey, not a farm-, apiary-, or batch-specific origin.
People
People connected to the work
- Manuel Bernáez President of APASA
- Rubén Barreto Finance director of APASA (reported in 2015)
Practices
How they work
- APASA-associated beekeeping is reported to rely on nectar from wild regional flowering, including mastranto.
- The association has publicly discussed building capacity for honey standardization and certification for export markets.