Flora for beekeeping planted on 100-km barren stretch

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 1

To utilise a 100-km stretch of barren land along the Rajasthan canal in Faridkot district, the Forest Department has planted flora suited for beekeeping on it.

Initiated by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, at least 650 acres out of 1,200 acres of the unutilised strip since 1955 has already been planted with rich flora for bees. There was a good growth in the first year after plantation.

Gobinder Singh, a progressive farmer and a leading exporter of honey, said, “The step initiated by the Irrigation Department will bear results after three years. In the long run, however, the choice of vegetation will benefit interested bee keepers for a very long time. We face various problems in getting honey from other states.”

The list of suitable trees and other plantation has been provided by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The exercise will save time and effort of the aviary practitioners in travelling to other states, particularly Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, to get diet for their bees.

The Chief Minister had called a meeting after a report submitted by Secretary (Irrigation) KS Pannu earlier this year pointed out that the entire tract of 100 km, along the canal, was barren. During a discussion with the Principal Conservator of Forests, Kuldip Singh, later it was decided that “in order to promote bee keeping in the state, a special effort has to be made to plant suitable trees”.

PAU is learnt to have submitted a list of 19 plants which suited the soil for growth along the canal. These are ‘dharek’, ‘kachnar’, ‘sababaul’, ‘kikar’, ‘shisham’, ‘jamun’, ‘arjuna’ and ‘khair’ among others.

Director Horticulture Dr Gurkanbwal Singh said, “The step of growing plants to promote beekeeping here can also be tried in other parts of the state. Amid a decreasing land share of farmers, beekeeping is a good alternative for employment.”