Haryana beekeepers pin hopes on Bhavantar yojana

With the state government announcing to cover honey under the “Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana”, beekeepers hope that this initiative will ensure fair price and increase honey production.

Though the government hasn’t announced secured price for honey under the yojana, it could be around Rs 120 per kg. So far, the beekeepers had been fetching Rs 60 to 100 per kg.

In 2020, the honey production in Haryana was 4,500 MT, which increased to 5,500 MT in 2025. The state has set a target of 15,500 MT by 2030.

Of 2,700 beekeepers in the state, around 1,845 have been registered on the Madhukranti portal of the Centre. The Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC) at Ramnagar in Kurukshetra has been playing a key role in increasing the honey production and providing training to beekeepers. To check adulteration in honey, the Centre has approved a high-end referral laboratory to test chemical parameters, anti-biotic residues, pesticide residues, heavy metal analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance. The IBDC already has NABL-accredited honey-testing lab, bee disease diagnostic lab, a value addition lab and a honey processing and bottling unit.

Ramesh Puri, a beekeeper, said, “The inclusion of honey under the Bhavantar Bharpai yojana will definitely help beekeepers. At present, traders offer Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg, while the cost of cultivation is much more than the offered price. ”

Dharmpal, another beekeeper, said, “Labour and migration cost is one of the major components. In case the prices remain low, beekeepers can be compensated under the yojana.”

Satyender Yadav, Deputy Director of the Horticulture, said, “The beekeepers are being given financial assistance and training for scientific beekeeping, entrepreneurship and advanced beekeeping. Per-box productivity has increased from 28 kg in 2020 to 30 kg in 2025. For 2030, we have set a target of 40 kg.”

“Bee wax, pollen, venom and royal jelly are some other products that will help the beekeepers in increasing their income. They can earn a good income by selling bee venom to the pharma industry. The IBDC has started a cold store (with a capacity of 2,000 mt) as part of its project to set up a honey trade centre, where farmers can store their produce and sell it in auction after getting a satisfactory price,” he added.

The Deputy Director said, “Adulteration and quality control of honey have been a major challenge. Various syrups, including synthetic are mixed in the honey. It was not possible to detect the adulteration in normal tests of the FSSAI, following which the government decided to establish Rs 20 crore referral lab here. ”

Arjun Singh Saini, HOD Special, Directorate of Horticulture, said, “The Centre has given its approval to set up a lab. It can detect several types of adulteration, including the NMR. The beekeepers and traders will be able to export their products.” “After getting data from the field, we found that cultivation cost of honey stood at around Rs 120 per kg. However, traders were paying Rs 70 to Rs 100 per kg to farmers. Thus, the CM announced to cover honey under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana. The secured rate under the scheme will be fixed soon,” said Saini.