India Perspectives

Beekeeping and why it matters

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Bees are not just great pollinators but also the best friends of farmers as they help increase agricultural productivity and consequently farmer incomes.

Beekeeping is the rearing, caring and management of honeybees (Apis cerana indica) in artificial boxes. Practical and low-cost beekeeping can increase and double the yields of local crops with minimum efforts. Therefore, beekeeping is an alternative and additional source of income for farmers.

Courtesy UTMT
Courtesy UTMT

With consistent efforts to build awareness and revive the agricultural ecosystem, beekeeping is gradually restoring its value in the ecosystem. Today, it has evolved as a source of additional income for most farmers. It is being adopted by the farmers, as it plays a significant role in increasing the agricultural yields through pollination of crops like oilseeds, pulses, vegetables and fruits.

Gangaram Sahare, 40, from Galkund village in Ahwa (in Dangs district, Gujarat) was trained in beekeeping in 2019 by UTMT Society and currently has two filled bee boxes in his farm. Gangaram mentions that after taking up beekeeping, his overall harvest has improved by 70% to 80%, and consequently there has been substantial increase in his annual income. Below is an example of his income was positively impacted in 2019-20:

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