THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA), an NGO registered since 2008 run by 2,500 honey farmers from across the state, has approached the Centre to set up a ‘Honey Mission.’ They have presented a detailed project report before the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to set up the mission which is expected to come up at a cost of Rs 5.12 crore.
Former finance minister, K M Mani had come out with the State Honey Mission in his 2015 budget presentation which was never implemented.
It was under the aegis of Dr Spencer Hatch, former secretary of YMCA, who belonged to Marthandam, that beekeeping was introduced in Kerala on an industrial basis. Over the last several years, beekeeping has become one of the most potential farming opportunities in the state with excellent yields for beekeepers with the demand going up among consumers.
Dr Stephen Devanesan, general secretary of FIA, informed that beekeeping in rubber plantations was started in 1975 by providing beehives and technical training to small-scale rubber farmers through cooperative societies.
“About 8000 tonnes of honey has been produced in Kerala since the last five months alone. In 2018, it was envisaged to produce 80,000 tonnes of honey from 5.45 lakh acres of rubber crop in the state. Through the Prime Minister’s Honey Mission scheme, bee farmers in Kerala can be involved which would help increase their income and ensure scientific management of bee colonies,” said Stephen Devanesan. He is also a former principal scientist and head, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), All India Coordinated Project on Honeybee Research & Training (AICRP) on Honey Bees and Pollinators, KAU, Vellayani.
In 2015, the-then finance minister K M Mani, in his budget speech had earmarked Rs 2 crore for setting up a State Honey Mission. But it was never implemented and in 2016, the Plan fund was diverted to Horticorp which was appointed as the nodal agency.
“States like Nagaland have set up a State Honey Mission which is helping them get Central funds from the PM’s Honey Mission programme. My wife, K S Premila, former principal scientist at KAU’s AICRP on honey bees and pollinators and I were invited by the Nagaland Government as state guests where we provided training to bee farmers there for 10 days. We are still way behind as the state government is yet to present any project before the Central government,” added Prof Devanesan.