Beekeeping has helped in raising crop production by 30%: KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar

Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman Manoj Kumar said that the beekeeping industry has raised the crop productivity by 30 per cent which, in turn, has increased farmers’ income, reported ANI. 

“Beekeeping is the medium of sweet revolution, more income can be earned by joining this work,” said Kumar while addressing the Khadi Honey Mision dialogue programme in Haryana’s Kaithal. 

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Underlining the benefits of the beekeeping industry, Kumar said that India is realizing its potential and is focusing on improving the production of honey, he added. 

The government has also recently approved a new central sector scheme National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) for the promotion of scientific beekeeping. The Mission is aimed at improving the quality of honey as well as other beehive products to encourage the growth of the beekeeping industry.

The NBHM mission has three mini missions: the first one aims to give thrust to production of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific beekeeping, focus of the second mission is on post-harvest management of beehive products and lastly, Mini Mission III concentrates on research and technology generation for different regions and agro-climatic conditions.

Under NBHM of the Ministry of Agriculture,1.75 lakh bee boxes have been distributed by the KVIC and beekeeping training to 17,500 beneficiaries has been provided across the country, as per the MSME Ministry official statement. 

In the fiscal year 2021-22, India exported about 74,413 metric tonnes (MT) of honey worth Rs 1,221.17 crore, majorly to the US, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Bangladesh and Qatar. 

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The Honey Mission Programme was launched by KVIC under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during 2017-18 to promote beekeeping activities and provide employment in economically backward and remote areas.