000KANNIYAKUMARI: In recognition of the district's apiculture potential, the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department has launched a new brand -- 'Kumarithaen' -- for the honey produced at its Centre of Excellence for Bee Keeping in Pechiparai. Information Technology Minister T Mano Thangaraj and other dignitaries unveiled the brand recently at a function in Nagercoil.
The Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu are endowed with flora that supports beekeeping. The Centre of Excellence for Bee Keeping imparts training to farmers on the latest technologies and serves as a model unit for sharing knowledge on honey bee rearing and honey production.
Deputy Director of Horticulture Y Sheela John said the centre was established at the state horticulture farm in Pechiparai by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department during 2017-18 under the National Horticulture Mission Fund. "Honey produced here will now be sold at horticulture department outlets in Kanniyakumari district and other places, including Chennai," she said.
Advanced techniques of processing and packing at the centre ensure the production of high-quality honey, said the centre administrator and horticulture officer D Arun Kumar. "We place honey boxes at rubber plantations in Pechiparai during the season from January to April, and during the off-season, we place the boxes at coconut groves in Mandaikadu and Mathicode in Killiyoor block," he added.
Honey bees also play a significant role in pollination and thus increase the productivity of crops, particularly horticulture crops. While the farm price of 1 kg 'Kumarithaen' is Rs 300, the product is available at the market for Rs 350. The centre also has plans to increase honey production in the near future.