Idukki’s Muthuvan tribe keeps wild honey collection sweet, civil

Each collector is allotted a specific number of tree holes from which he can collect the wild honey
Hives built by bees on wild tree holes, from where tribesmen collect honey
Hives built by bees on wild tree holes, from where tribesmen collect honey Photo | Express
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IDUKKI: The expertise of members of the Muthuvan tribe is second to none when it comes to collecting wild honey from dangerous, rocky slopes and wild trees.

However, since the five tribal settlements in the Vattavada panchayat of Idukki have several honey collecting men who extract it from the large tree holes where the bees build hives, they strictly follow a specific system to ensure proper distribution of the produce, which is also a source of their livelihood.

Each collector is allotted a specific number of tree holes from which he can collect the wild honey. In the collector’s absence, only a member of his family or someone he assigned can collect the honey from the spot allotted to him.

The system helps with the community existence and cooperation, and the Muthuvan tribal community in Vattavada follows it without any hesitation and complaints. Says Ramaraj, the Vattavada panchayat member and a resident of the Kudalar tribal settlement, “The Shola forests that surround the settlements have wild honey in abundance, and the tribes have been collecting the produce for generations for self-consumption and sale.”

He said the bees build hives in the holes of large wild trees. “Since the bees build hives only in tree holes with narrow entrance, the large holes are purposefully made narrow by placing a stone,” Ramaraj told TNIE.

He said each settlement in Vattavada has around 20 to 30 collectors. “Another man should not harvest honey from the tree hole where a collector has placed a stone. In his absence, anyone he has assigned or his family members can harvest the honey from the tree hole,” Ramaraj said.

Though wild trees dot the expanse of the Shola forests, every honey collector knows the spots assigned to him and others. However, anyone is free to harvest from newly-formed beehives. C Rajendran, a tribal community member said, Muthuvan tribals give more importance to community values and cooperation. “Our forefathers followed the system (of allotting spots and collecting honey), and now, we also follow in their footsteps,” he said.

Since harvesting wild honey often involves removing the entire honeycomb and forcing the bees to start anew, harvesting is done only once a year. The usual harvesting time is from March to June. It may at times extend till July depending on the new hives formed.

Depending on the size of the tree hole, anywhere from 1.5 to 2 litres of honey can be harvested from a single one, says C Rajendran, adding, a litre of honey fetches a handsome Rs 600- Rs 800. “Wild honey is highly sought after by traders, who procure it directly from the tribal people,” he says.

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