World Bee Day is an annual event observed on May 20th to shed light on the significance of bees and other pollinators in sustaining our environment, food security, and biodiversity. This day marks the birth anniversary of Anton Janša, a notable figure in modern beekeeping from Slovenia. The United Nations General Assembly established World Bee Day in 2017, following Slovenia’s proposal and the backing of 115 countries.
The Role of Bees
Bees underpin the survival of numerous plants and animals as they pollinate about one-third of global crops and 90% of wild flowering plants. Bees also yield honey, wax, propolis, and other beneficial byproducts boasting nutritional, medicinal, and financial value.
Bees’ Response to Climate Change
By encouraging healthier plant growth, bees enhance carbon capture and storage. They also help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which contribute harmful gases to the atmosphere. Moreover, bees serve as indicators of ecosystem health, reacting to environmental changes like climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and pesticide use.
Impact on Crop Productivity
Bees aid in advancing crop productivity and quality by offering pollination services to diverse crops like fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, and pulses. Research suggests that bee pollination can boost crop yields by an average of 20-30%.
Generating Employment Opportunities
Beekeeping generates income and work opportunities for rural households by producing honey and other bee-derived products such as wax and propolis. With its high demand in both domestic and international markets, honey is not only a nutritious and healthy product for consumers but also an avenue for empowering women and youth through involvement in beekeeping activities as entrepreneurs or self-help groups.
Threats and Challenges to Bees
Bees face numerous threats including habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation, monoculture farming practices that reduce floral diversity, exposure to pesticides and herbicides, diseases, pests, invasive species, and climate change. Lack of awareness, knowledge, and support for beekeeping among farmers and consumers further exacerbate these challenges.
Status of Beekeeping in India
India is one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of honey, boasting an estimated annual production of 1.2 lakh metric tonnes. Today, about 12,699 Beekeepers and 19.34 lakhs honey bees colonies are registered with the National Bee Board, and India is producing about 1,33,200 Metric tonnes of Honey (2021-22 estimate). A new species of endemic honeybee, Indian black honeybee (Apis karinjodian), was discovered in the Western Ghats in November 2022 after more than 200 years.
Indian Honey Exports
India is a significant honey exporter, with a record of exporting 74,413 MT of Honey during 2021-22. Over 50% of Indian honey production is exported to other countries, majorly the USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Canada, etc.
National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)
Under the Atma-Nirbhar Bharat initiative, the NBHM, managed by the National Bee Board, aims to advocate scientific beekeeping and entrepreneurship among small and marginal farmers. This scheme plays a pivotal role in increasing farmer incomes and boosting agricultural productivity through initiatives like infrastructure development, supporting research and development, with the aim to achieve the “Sweet Revolution.”
Recommended Steps Forward
Farmers need to be made aware of the benefits of beekeeping through various methods such as mass media campaigns, demonstrations, and field visits. Moreover, the supply chain for beekeeping needs to be strengthened, quality controls for inputs assured, market linkages for honey and other products developed, and value-added products promoted.
