R ARIVANANTHAM
GANDHINAGAR, JAN 4
The thought of bees might trigger fear, but mentioning honey brings smiles. Bee keeping, a vital source of this wholesome nectar, provides both a natural remedy and a lucrative agricultural opportunity. With low costs investment and considerable returns, it is a thriving industry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the Sweet Revolution in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address — a key initiative by the Government of India to enhance and promote bee keeping practices.
- Amul Dairy’s Animal Husbandry Farmers Produce 16,000 Kg of Honey
- Following the White Revolution, the ‘Mission Bee’ Program Initiates the Honey Revolution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the farmers to adopt Bee keeping as a livelihood. In Gujarat, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, several initiatives have been launched to support farmers in this venture and boost their income.
‘Mission Bee’ programme
The ‘Mission Bee’ program marks a significant achievement in this effort. Through this initiative, Animal Husbandry farmers affiliated with Amul Dairy have successfully produced 16,000 kilograms of honey, showcasing the program’s success and potential.
What is the ‘Mission Bee’ Program?
Launched by the Horticulture Department in 2022-23, the ‘Mission Bee’ program aims to motivate farmers to adopt Bee keeping. The initiative focuses on providing guidance, training, and support to improve honey production, processing, packaging, and marketing throughout the state.
Amul Dairy’s Animal Husbandry Farmers Produce 16,000 Kg of Honey
Under the ‘Mission Bee’ program, the Kheda District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, Anand (Amul Dairy), has taken a major step forward in the honey revolution, following the success of the white revolution. Earlier this year, Amul Dairy employed 284 member Animal Husbandry farmers from Anand, Kheda, and Mahisagar districts in a Bee keeping project, offering an initial contribution of Rs 10,000 per participant. Each farmer received 10 bee boxes and a honey extractor for every five members. These 284 farmers have set a new standard by producing an impressive 16,000 kg of honey to date.
Amul Dairy’s processing and packaging unit has already processed around 2 tonnes of honey under this project. Additionally, the Animal Husbandry Farmers associated with Amul Dairy are earning additional income through direct sales. Remarkably, within the first year, these farmers have recovered about 75 per cent of their initial investment in Bee keeping.
Lower Investment with Higher Returns
To begin Bee keeping, a bee colony, a bee box, and a honey extractor are required. Typically, the cost for ten bee colonies, one box, and one honey extractor ranges from Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000. Besides honey, additional income can be earned from producing wax, royal jelly, bee venom, and gum. Bee keeping has created substantial self-employment opportunities in rural areas, providing an extra source of income alongside farming and supporting the Prime Minister’s goal of doubling farmers’ income. Additionally, bee cross-pollination enhances crop yields and improves fruit and seed quality, while also benefitting the environment.
Eligibility for the ‘Mission Bee’ Program
All Four agricultural universities in the state, Krishak Vigyan Kendra, the Horticulture Department, registered farmer groups, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), ‘A’ grade cooperative institutions, cooperative dairies, and district milk cooperative federations can benefit from this program.
Assistance Provided Under the Program
Under the program, eligible beneficiary groups, organizations, or institutions receive support for beekeeping boxes, modern honey extractors, food-grade containers, and other essential equipment. Assistance is also provided for processing, packaging, cold storage, Bee breeding, nucleus culture, and establishing bee clinics. In 2022-23, the ‘Mission Bee’ program allocated ₹ 53 lakh to Junagadh Agricultural University for a bee breeding and clinic project. In 2024-25, Amul Dairy’s project received ₹127.43 lakh in assistance.
