Apiculture, the nurturing of bees for honey

• Apiculture, the nurturing of bees for honey, has grown to a profitable allied agricultural venture for the farmers all over Punjab.
• India's northern Punjab backed by expert knowledge and marketing expertise accounts for almost half of the India's total honey production in the organised sector.
• The widespread bee floral plants and crops act as catalysts for the Punjab farmers to `take a bow for the new revolution'.
• Having over 22,000 beekeepers, Punjab produces about 42,000 tones of honey.
• Punjab being sure having assured irrigation, good flora is available and because of availability of flora the Punjab has capacity to maintain ten lakh honeybee colonies. So, still there is very good scope to increase this profession. It is a jackpot, which Punjab has unearthed recently. On the outskirts of Ludhiana in Doraha is Kashmir Apiaries Exports.which accounts for 40 per cent of the total organized sector honey production in India, owns the largest number of bee hives and procures honey from all over the country. Products of Kashmir Apiaries are exported to 35 different nations and its honey is being used in Swiss chocolates, candies and even French cosmetics. The company’s latest target is the Middle-East nations, Algeria and Morocco.
  
• One of the scientists from New Zealand made a very appropriate study in Nepal in which he had shown that you keep one colony of Italian bees and there benefit to the farmer in terms of pollination service would be more than two lakhs. Just one colony per annum!
  
• Producing over 20 varieties, India exports 25,000 tones of honey worth 50 million US dollars. And, Punjab has a major share to make India proud.

Kutch & Mango Production

• Total production of honey in the border district of Kutch has decreased from 500 tonnes to just 50 tonnes per annum and it has adversely affected mango crop, said Batuksinhji Jadeja of Village Moti Mau of Mandvi taluka in Kutch. Mr Jadeja, mango orchard owner, is considered as a one of the pioneers in export of mangoes from the district. This year production of mango has decreased by over 40,000 tonnes comparison with last year, he added.

Herbal Honey

• In an effort to motivate beekeepers to produce sugar-free herbal honey, the government has introduced a new eco-friendly beekeeping system in Himachal Pradesh.
• The National Horticulture Board (NHB) has sent 5,000 beekeeping boxes along with the bees to the state, to be distributed in 10 of 12 districts in the next year.
• These bees will be fed on the stevia herbal plant leaves that are said to produce sugar free honey. The plant is also considered a natural sweetener and attracts bees.
• These leaves will come in handy both during the dry winter countryside and the rainy season when the bees are unable to fly out in search of food.
• In the lean season, the hungry bees are normally fed sugar by beekeepers, resulting in production of poor quality honey. Stevia will change this practice.
• Sugar free honey is much in demand by diabetics and those who do not wish to gain weight but at the same time want to enjoy the taste of honey.
• It is also said to reduce cravings for sugar and fat besides being helpful in controlling blood sugar and high blood pressure.
• Project was sent to NHB by the Himachal Organic Association (HOA) to popularise healthy sugar-free honey. Eventually the state government plans to procure some 100,000 beekeeping boxes to produce herbal honey.
• The HOA has signed a deal with a company that will manufacture these boxes.
• 'Farmers wishing to get into beekeeping can submit projects up to Rs.1 million. The NHB will bear a fifth of this sum. The rest will have to be paid by the beekeeper. A box of bees will be sold for Rs.3,000.