Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Manoj Kumar said, “Beekeeping is the medium of sweet revolution, more income can be earned by joining this work.” He was addressing the Khadi Honey Mission dialogue program on 5th January 2023 in the state of Haryana.
Describing the beekeeping industry as an eco-friendly industry, the Chairman said that beekeeping not only generates income but also increases the productivity of the crop by 30% by the pollen grains spread by the bees.
KVIC’s initiatives for making Honey Mission a success :
The government launched the ‘Honey Mission’ as part of ‘Sweet Revolution’ in 2017. The aim of the project is project to promote apiculture which is called as beekeeping.
Under the mission, KVIC has distributed 1,75,000 bee boxes after providing beekeeping training to 17,500 beneficiaries across the country. In Haryana state, 4,400 boxes have been distributed by giving training in beekeeping to 440 beneficiaries.
A unique innovation was taken by KVIC in the form of mobile honey process van in January 2022. In a village of Uttar Pradesh, KVIC unveiled the first mobile honey processing van in the nation. It costs a lot for small farmers and beekeepers to carry honey to processing facilities. Hence, the processing van was launched to minimise the costs associated with honey extraction and processing. Also, with this the processing can take place at farmers’ or beekeepers’ doorsteps and thus prevent any possibility of honey adulteration.
Also, the state of Jharkhand is considered best for the implementation of sweet revolution. The state’s climate is suitable for honey production, around 30% of the land is covered by forest which is the most important resource for honey production. KVIC has taken several training programmes in the state to leverage the opportunity.
Global reach of honey from India:
India is one of the leading honey exporting countries in the world. Organic honey produced in India has reached the markets of Germany, USA, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Spain etc.
India exported about 74,413 MT of honey worth Rs. 1221.17 crore during 2021-22. The major export destinations include, the US, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Bangladesh and Qatar. About 13,000 beekeepers are currently registered on the National Bee Board. It provides employment to more than 3 lakh rural people.
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