Experts thrust on the importance of quality honey production and creating sustainable employment at the grassroot level. The country has achieved 21% growth in export this year and has seen a tremendous growth in the production capacity.
New Delhi: June 30, 2022 – Highlighting the importance of beekeeping as part of the Integrated Farming System in the country, India Honey Alliance (IHA), in collaboration with the National Bee Board recently hosted an informative and interactive webinar – ‘Hive to Home 4.0 – The Busy Bee’. Distinguished experts from across the honey value chain emphasized various aspects of holistic development of the beekeeping sector and creating a more enabling environment for the bees and beekeepers.
In his keynote address, Dr. Naveen Patle, ED-National Bee Board said that the country has achieved 21% growth in export this year as compared to the last year and has seen a tremendous growth in the production capacity. He mentioned that while the country is slowly treading its way to sustainable development of the beekeeping sector, there is a long way to go in terms of creating awareness about the role of bees. It is essential to co-exist with bees to create a sustainable income potential for the beekeepers and farmers. He further highlighted the need for adequate mentorship program for small entrepreneurs and startups.
Developing quality bees and making them available to beekeepers is the need of the hour. Dr. Patle also stressed on the fact that while the country has more than 48 lacs bee colonies, only 19 lac colonies are registered in the Madhu Kranti Portal. He urged that beekeepers should register themselves for better traceability and holistic growth of the beekeeping ecosystem. He also informed that NBB has recently set up 8 mini labs in Gujarat and the organization is in the process of creating many more such regional testing labs and mini testing labs across the country.
The webinar was organized to get insights on employment generation through beekeeping, the potential of products of bee-keeping, (other than honey) in the Indian market and further highlighting the need for good bee-keeping practices. Experts agreed that it is a very fragmented and unorganized sector, and that the Government and the entire Honey ecosystem should collaborate to take strong measures in flourishing the beekeeping sector, increasing the export and production of honey, creating sustainable income and employment for the beekeepers.
The speaker panel included Dr. Naveen Patle, ED – National Bee Board, Dr. Laxmi Rao – CBRTI, Pune, Dr. Balraj Singh, Project Coordinator. PC cell, Division of Entomology, ICAR-IARI, Apoorva BV, Director, Honey Day Farms, and Sujana Krishnamoorthy, ED – Under The Mango Tree Society. The session was moderated by Somit Mukherjee, Sr. VP, Supply Chain-Dabur and the opening remarks were given by Ms. Namrata Khanna, Director, India Honey Alliance.
While Dr. Balraj Singh, Project Coordinator. PC cell, Division of Entomology. ICAR-IARI, highlighted the significance of bees for maintaining biodiversity of the environment, Sujana Krishnamoorthy, ED – Under The Mango Tree Society, asserted about the importance of beekeeping in increasing agricultural productivity, enhancing incomes and improving livelihoods of marginal farmers in India. She also indicated how beekeeping can go on to become a viable profession for not just men but women as well across India. Apoorva BV, Director, Honey Day Farms, shed light on the various benefits of urban and humane beekeeping, ways and means for bee conservation and methods to get more honey and other products.
Reaffirming Dr. Patle’s sentiment, Dr. Laxmi Rao – CBRTI, Pune, asserted the advantages of scientific beekeeping and the apiary management methods. She also spoke about Honey flow and the importance of effective bee colonies management. She further pointed out how various bee products such as Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Bee Propolis and Bee Venom are beneficial for overall health improvement, nutrition, improvement of life quality, prevention and treatment of diseases and other cosmetic uses.
