The Beekeeping Development Committee, led by Bibek Debroy and operating under the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, has made significant recommendations aiming to boost the beekeeping sector. The committee’s vital role is to identify opportunities to advance beekeeping in India and enhance its contribution towards the objective of doubling farmer incomes by 2022. The areas of focus include agricultural productivity, employment generation, nutritional security, and biodiversity.
Rename and Institutionalize the National Bee Board
Among the key recommendations was to rename and institutionalize the National Bee Board as the Honey and Pollinators Board of India under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. This proposal aims to facilitate the advancement of beekeeping through diverse mechanisms. These include the establishment of new integrated bee development centers, strengthening existing ones, and creating a honey price stabilization fund. Other objectives involve collecting data on crucial aspects of apiculture, simplifying procedures, and specifying clear export standards for honey and other bee products.
Expansion of Beekeeping Products
The committee also suggested that beekeeping should not be limited to honey and wax alone. Marketing other bee products such as pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom could substantially contribute to farmers’ income. They also proposed recognizing honeybees as vital to agriculture and considering landless beekeepers as farmers.
Training and Infrastructure Development
State governments should provide training and development for beekeepers, according to the committee. It also suggested the establishment of national and regional infrastructure for storage, processing, and marketing of honey and other bee products. In addition, it recommended the plantation of bee-friendly flora at suitable locations and the involvement of women self-help groups in managing these plantations.
Recognition of Apiculture as a Research Subject
The committee also emphasized the importance of recognizing apiculture as a subject for advanced research under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.
Honey Bee Industry in India
India ranked eighth globally in honey production in 2017-18, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization database, with China leading. Interestingly, India has the potential for about 200 million bee colonies, compared to its current 3.4 million. Increasing the number of bee colonies would not only boost the production of bee-related products but also significantly enhance overall agricultural and horticultural productivity.
| Year | India’s Honey Export (in thousands tonnes) |
|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 29.6 |
| 2017-18 | 51.5 |
About the National Bee Board (NBB)
The Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) registered the National Bee Board as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, in 2000. Later, in June 2006, NBB was reconstituted with the secretary as chairman. The main objective of NBB is to promote scientific beekeeping in India, aiming to increase crop productivity through pollination, drive honey production, and thereby boost the income of the Beekeepers/Farmers. Presently, NBB is implementing the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and the Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan State (HMNEM).
