Explainer: Haryana sweetens the pot for beekeepers

With a target to increase the state’s honey production to 15,500 MT by 2030, and protect beekeepers from losses, the Haryana Government has decided to cover honey under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.The Horticulture Department and beekeepers have welcomed the government’s move, acknowledging that this had been a long-pending demand of beekeepers.How will the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana benefit beekeepers?The government compensates growers included in the scheme in the event that produce is sold below the secured prices declared by the government.Farmers are provided the difference between the secured price and the average price of sale of the produce.With the government now covering honey under the scheme, beekeepers are also expected to get compensation, if entitled to it.Though the secured price is yet to be announced, it is expected to be around Rs 120 per kg.What is the current plight of beekeepers?Currently, beekeepers rue poor prices being offered for honey, blaming traders and exporters for it.Traders offer Rs 60-80 per kg — much less than the cost of cultivation. Labour and migration costs are major components of the operating cost for Haryana’s beekeepers.What target has the govt set for 2030?In 2020, honey production in the state was 4,500 MT, which increased to 5,500 MT in 2025. The state has set an ambitious target of 15,500 MT for 2030. Of 2,700 beekeepers in the state, around 1,845 have been registered on the Centre’s Madhukranti portal, with these currently having 2.41 lakh boxes of honey. Per-box productivity increased from 28 kg in 2020 to 30 kg in 2025; and, for 2030, the government has set a target of 40 kg.What is the IBDC’s role in the state’s honey production?The Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC) at Ramnagar in Kurukshetra has been playing a key role in increasing honey production and providing training to beekeepers.The IBDC was established under a bilateral agreement between India and Israel in 2017, at a cost of Rs 10.50 crore. To check adulteration in honey, the Central Government has approved a high-end referral laboratory to test chemical parameters, anti-biotic residues, pesticide residues, heavy metal analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance. The project will come up at a cost of over Rs 20 crore.The IBDC has a NABL-accredited honey-testing lab, bee disease diagnostic lab, a value-addition lab and a honey processing and bottling unit.What challenges are faced in honey trade?Adulteration, and the quality control of honey are a major challenge posed in the trade of honey. Various sugar-like syrups, including synthetic ones, are often mixed with honey. Since it is not possible to detect adulteration in regular FSSAI tests, the government has decided to establish a Rs 20-crore referral lab at the IBDC.To protect beekeepers from distress sale, a cold store (with a capacity of 2,000 MT) has been established as part of the IBDC’s project to set up a honey trade centre.Now, beekeepers can store their produce at the store, and sell it in auctions after getting a satisfactory prices.What does the Horticulture Department say?Deputy Director (Horticulture) Satyender Yadav said, through the IBDC, beekeepers are being given financial assistance and training for scientific beekeeping, entrepreneurship and advanced beekeeping.Haryana was the first state in the country to cover honey under Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, with the move poised to help beekeepers increase income and production, Yadav added, stating that beeswax, pollen, venom and royal jelly were some other products that could help beekeepers increase incomes.

Explainer: Haryana sweetens the pot for beekeepers

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Explainer: Haryana sweetens the pot for beekeepers

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

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