Focusing on giving a further boost to the Apiculture Mission in Meghalaya, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh today distributed beehives to master beekeepers and released the Mission Document of Apiculture Mission 2.0 at a function here.
Thirty-five master beekeepers hailing from Ri-Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills received hives at the programme.
The event was organized by the Directorate of Horticulture as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of statehood.
Speaking on the occasion, Lyngdoh stressed on the importance of scientific beekeeping for larger production of honey.
Under Apiculture Mission 2.0, the government is committed to work closely with the farmers and get their feedback so that any intervention made will yield positive results, he said.
Lamenting the procurement of local honey at low cost by companies from outside the state, which is then repackaged, branded and resold at a much higher price, Lyngdoh stressed on the need for proper branding and packing. Drawing focus on the dwindling number of bees, particularly in urban areas and in places where chemical fertilizers are used, he stressed on the importance of preserving the environment.
Vijay Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said that although the state boasts of a variety of honey and has a huge potential to produce quality honey, it is unfortunate that Meghalaya is still unable to fully leverage this resource.
While a number of local entrepreneurs have been able to add value to honey through proper branding, he lamented the inability to create a value chain at the farmers’ level wherein honey is yet to be produced on a larger scale and processed properly, packaged and sold in a way that gets the best price for farmers.
In the first phase of the Mission, master beekeepers will be provided with free boxes, following which clusters will be trained and subsequently bee boxes will be provided to farmers at 50 percent subsidy and 50 percent interest free bank loan.
