Minister Inaugurates Honey Testing Labs Virtually

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of India, celebrated World Bee Day on May 20, Minister also inaugurated honey testing labs virtually.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, celebrated World Bee Day on May 20, 2023, at Raja Bhoj Agriculture College, Madhya Pradesh.

The celebration was graced by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in the august presence of the Agriculture Minister, Government. of Madhya Pradesh, Chairman, OBC Welfare Commission, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Chairman, NDDB, and other dignitaries on the dais.

In his deliberation, Tomar mentioned that under the “10,000 FPO Scheme” of the Government of India, to strengthen the beekeepers in the country by developing the institutional framework for collective development, 100 beekeepers / honey producers FPOs have been allocated under NBHM for which TRIFED, NAFED and NDDB have been selected. In this sequence, a total of 80 FPOs of beekeepers/honey producers have been registered. Further, he stated that there is huge potential for honey production in this area which must be utilised to increase farmers’ income.

Significant achievements in honey production through short video films were played on this occasion. The participants from the different categories were felicitated for their significant contribution to this sector. Other honey products Start-up/ FPOs releases of publication on beekeeping were launched.

On this occasion the Honey Testing Labs were virtually inaugurated by Hon’ble Agriculture Minister.

The Honey Testing Labs which were inaugurated:

• Regional Testing lab- IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka
• Regional Testing lab, IARI, Pusa New Delhi
• Mini Honey Testing Lab SKUAST Kashmir at KVK, Kupwara, J&K
• Mini Honey Testing Lab, KVK, Damoh, Madhya Pradesh
• Mini Honey Testing Lab, Banaskantha District Co-op. Milk Prod. Uni. Ltd. Palanpur, Gujarat
• Mini Honey Testing Lab, College of Agriculture, Pashighat, Arunachal Pradesh
• Mini Honey Testing Lab, NIFTEM, Sonipat, Haryana; Bee Disease Diagnostic Center, FCRI, Hyderabad, Telangana.

On this occasion, the minister also inaugurated Bee box Manufacturing Units — Honey & Other Beehive Products Collection centres, Trading, Branding and Marketing units at Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh & Uttar Pradesh.

Diversified agro-climatic conditions of India provide great potential for beekeeping/ honey production. India is producing about 1,33,200 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of Honey as per 2021-22- 3rd Advanced Estimate. India has exported 74413 MT of Natural Honey to the world worth Rs. 1221 crore (US $ 164.835 million) during 2020-21.

The scientific technology being adopted for increasing production and testing of honey by maintaining quality standards for national and international markets and promoting the production of other beehive products viz.; bee pollen, bees wax, royal jelly, propolis & bee venom. This has facilitated the beekeepers to increase their income and demand for honey and beehive products in the domestic and international markets.

Bees are renowned for their role in providing high-quality food and other products used in healthcare and other sectors, but the work of bees entails much more. The greatest contribution of bees and other pollinators is the pollination of nearly three-quarters of the plants that produce 90% of the world’s food. Effective pollination increases the yield of agricultural produce and improves their quality. Beekeeping in India is thus an important agri-business activity that not only promises good returns to the farmers but also helps increase agricultural productivity leading to food and nutritional security of the country.

During the celebration, an exhibition with over 100 stalls was set up by beekeepers, processors and different stakeholders of the beekeeping sector to showcase the diverse varieties of the honey bee and different products in the beekeeping sector. Over 1,000 farmers, beekeepers, processors, entrepreneurs, and all stakeholders associated with honey production attended the programme.

A workshop with three technical sessions was organised on different themes. Need of Research & Development to promote Scientific Beekeeping for Income Generation. Driving Growth through Effective Marketing Strategies for Domestic & Export Market. Production Technology and Research & Development of Scientific Beekeeping- Experience Sharing and Challenges. Productive Partnership in Honey- Industries Insights. Marketing Challenges and Solutions (Domestic/ Global).

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Source: PIB