The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) recently introduced India’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van in a village in Uttar Pradesh, marking an important milestone in the nation’s initiative towards promoting and revolutionizing beekeeping. This move aims to facilitate local beekeepers by eliminating the need for transporting honey to distant processing plants, effectively reducing costs and the risk of adulteration.
Mobile Honey Processing Van: A Boon for Beekeepers
In the traditional system, the transportation of honey to processing plants proves to be an expensive affair for small farmers and beekeepers. Many of them resort to selling their raw honey at their farms to avoid high costs, usually at a lower price than deserved. The Mobile Honey Processing Van significantly alleviates this issue by bringing the processing plant to the beekeepers’ doorsteps.
By doing so, the van reduces the honey extraction and processing expenses for the beekeepers, and eliminates any potential adulteration in the honey as the processing occurs immediately after extraction.
The Sweet Revolution Initiative
The Sweet Revolution is a laudable move by the Indian Government aimed at promoting apiculture or beekeeping. Recognizing the health benefits associated with honey, and the growing demand for quality honey, the government launched the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission in 2020 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This initiative seeks to boost the production of high-quality honey alongside other products such as royal jelly, beeswax, and pollens which find widespread use in industries like pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, beauty, and more.
Role of KVIC under the Honey Mission
The KVIC plays a key role in the Honey Mission by providing practical training to farmers and beekeepers. This includes teaching them about the examination of honeybee colonies, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, colony management across seasons, familiarity with apicultural equipment, and honey extraction and wax purification methods.
The Honey Mission programme, launched by KVIC in 2017-18, uses technology to ensure bee conservation, prevent loss of bee colonies, and improve the quality and quantity of apiculture products. This technology-centric approach to farming leads to superior-quality honey, making it more suitable for domestic and international markets.
Beekeeping: A Low-Investment, High-Skill Enterprise Model
Beekeeping is a low investment, high skill-based enterprise model with immense potential for socio-economic growth. With technological intervention, beekeeping can double farmers’ income, create employment opportunities, ensure food security, aid in bee conservation, and boost crop productivity.
About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
KVIC is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956. It is responsible for planning, promoting, organising and implementing programmes aimed at developing Khadi and other village industries in rural areas, in coordination with other agencies involved in rural development. The commission functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
