ALAPPUZHA: Country’s first honeybee flora park will come up at Beekeeping Consortium and Training Centre under the Kerala State Horticulture Products Corporation (Horticorp) at Kochalummood, Mavelikkara, near Alappuzha soon. Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar will inaugurate the honey bee flora park on December 20.
According to Horticorp manager V S Madhu, this will be the first honey bee flora park in the country. “Many honeybee parks were set up at various states. However, the honey bee flora park is the first one in the country. The aim of the park is to create high-quality honey through planting various flowering trees and plants. Around 100 varieties of plants will be grown at the centre, which is the nodal agency of bee production appointed by the state government.
The centre is already giving training to honey farming and producing honey for past so many years. The state government has allocated `50 lakh for the purpose. The balance amount will be utilised from the fund of the centre of the Horticorp,” Madhu said.
“The flowering trees and plants with high-quality stamens will be planted. Aloe vera (kattarvazha), jaramala (keezhar nelli), sensitive plant (thottavadi), porttia tree (veliparuthi), spinach, gooseberry, guava tree, jamun tree (naval), gliricidia sepium (cheema konna), averrhoa carambola tree (irumban puli) and other flora will be planted,” Madhu said.
The centre is doing research and training on beekeeping. Every year, around 3,000 bee farmers are given training from the centre, which is also producing various kinds of equipment and hives used for beekeeping.
“The department is also planning to set up a bee museum in the compound and the preliminary steps have started,” he said.