Honey Mission Will Increase Income of farmers and Create Avenues for Employment Generation: Narendra Singh Tomar

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched “मधुक्रान्तिपोर्टल” and Honey Corners of NAFED today in New Delhi. “मधुक्रान्तिपोर्टल” is an initiative of National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM). This portal is being developed for online registration to achieve traceability source of Honey and other beehive products on a digital platform. The technical and banking partner for development of this digital platform is Indian Bank. An MoU between NBB and Indian Bank was signed for this project.

Addressing the launching ceremony Shri Tomar said Honey Mission will lead to increase in income of farmers, employment generation and increase in exports. Sweet Revolution should spread all over the country and Indian honey should meet global standards, he added.

Necessary functionalities are being developed on the Portal to create a database of all stakeholders involved in Honey and other hive products’ production, sales and marketing chain. On-line Registration of beekeepers is being launched today in first phase, followed by registration of other stake-holders in Honey Trade. All sales transactions in Honey trading in country shall be captured through a mobile app in second phase to achieve desired results in the area of Honey source traceability.

Online registration/ traceability system for source of Honey & other beehive products will help in checking the quality & source of adulteration of honey. The system will also enable consumers/public to know the source of honey and assure quality of the products.

For marketing support to the FPOs, NAFED has developed 14-15 Honey Corners, one each in 5 NAFED Bazaar at Ashram, New Moti Bagh and East of Kailash, Panchkula and Mussoorie in their Bazaar/Retail Stores. More Honey Corners will be developed by NAFED in most of the upcoming major 200 NAFED Stores to promote market support for honey & other beehive products. Online marketing options will be explored to provide a platform for marketing and promotion of Honey supplied by the FPOs.

Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping, a new Central Sector Scheme entitled National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) was approved by Government of India for Rs. 500.00 crores allotted under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Announcement for overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping & to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution”. NBHM is implemented through National Bee Board (NBB). The scheme has three Mini Missions (MM-I, II & III) under which main thrust is given on awareness, capacity building/trainings, focus on women empowerment through beekeeping, setting up of requisite infrastructural facilities, viz.; Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), Honeybees Disease Diagnostic Labs, Setting up of/upgradation of Honey Testing labs, Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing Units, Custom Hiring Centres, Api therapy Centres, Development of Quality Nucleus Stock Centres & Bee Breeders, etc., Digitization/online  registration, etc. under MM-I, processing, value addition, market support, etc. under MM-II and R&D under MM-III.

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has been making efforts to address issues relating to quality of honey through setting up of quality testing labs and online registration/ developing traceability system for source of Honey & other beehive products under NBHM.

Following are the main achievements made in beekeeping/ honey by NBB, DAC&FW:

• A World Class State of the Art Honey Testing Lab at NDDB, Anand, Gujarat has been setup under NBHM. The Lab has been accredited by NABL and started working/ testing of honey samples. Already inaugurated by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare on 24^th July, 2020.
• Standards of Honey, Bees Wax & Royal Jelly notified by FSSAI. SMR & Foreign Oligosaccharides tests included in honey standards notified by FSSAI.
• 45 projects for assistance of Rs. 88.87 crores approved/sanctioned for funding under NBHM till date, including setting up of honey testing lab at NDDB, Anand and 44 project proposals relating to awareness/seminars & capacity building in scientific beekeeping, empowerment of women through beekeeping, technology demonstrations on impact of honeybees on yield enhancement & quality improvements of Agriculture/Horticulture produce, distribution of specialized beekeeping equipments for production of high value products, viz. royal jelly, bee venom, comb honey, etc., development of quality nucleus stock, online registration/developing traceability source of honey and other beehive products, etc., setting up of 13 mini/ satellite & two big/ regional honey testing labs, api-therapy centre, bee disease diagnostic labs, setting up of honey & other beehive products processing & bottling units, in-house testing labs, collection, trading, branding & marketing centres, storages, etc. and R&D have been sanctioned under NBHM. In these projects, some of the projects are approved for implementation in Aspirational Districts/remote & other difficult areas, including North Eastern & Hilly Areas.
• These facilities/projects are being approved/implemented by NBB, DAC&FW on the occasion of Commemoration of 75 Years of India Independence “Bharat ka Amrut Mahotsav” launched by the Prime Minister of India and being celebrated in all parts of the country.
• Among others, it has been decided to set up 100 Mini & 4-5 Regional/Big Honey & other Beehive Products Testing Labs in 3 years under NBHM.

• 70 FPOs of Beekeeper/honey producers, including 65 by NABARD & others and 5 by NAFED in Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan & WB, have been formed.
• Roadmap for collaboration with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for plantation of bee friendly flora on roadsides & promoting beekeeping is being made.
• Honey production has increased from 76,150 MTs (2013-14) to 1,20,000 MTs (2019-20).
• Export of honey has increased from 28378.42 MTs (2013-14) to 59536.74 MTs (2019-20).
• 29 Bee Breeders have been developed for multiplication/production of quality honeybee colonies along with queens for providing to the trained farmers/beekeepers. Each Bee Breeder produces at least 2000 bee colonies every year.
• 10,000 Beekeepers/Beekeeping & Honey Societies/Firms/Companies with 16.00 lakhs honeybee colonies registered with NBB are uploaded on “मधुक्रान्तिपोर्टल”.
• 16 Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs) as role model of beekeeping have been commissioned, one each in the States of Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Advisories on Good Beekeeping Practices (GBPs) published & circulated to all State Govts. & concerned Agencies/ Stakeholders.
• Awareness created about role of honeybees/beekeeping in pollination support of various crops.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Shri Parshottam Rupala and Shri Kailash Choudhary, Secretary, Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers' Welfare, Shri Sanjay Agarwal along with other senior officials and stakeholders were present on the occasion.