RARS proposes to develop scientific beekeeping in agency

A week-long training programme was launched in the state on Monday to impart skills to 25 persons in each batch.
The training sponsored by the National Bee Board and the Regional Agriculture Research Station, West Godavari, is being held in two places, each in Nandyal and Marteru in West Godavari and Chintapalli in the ASR district.

RARS assistant director A. Swamybabu said the training would be held for a week, during which they would be taught rudimentary knowledge of modern beekeeping.

“ASR agency area is most ideal for beekeeping, as the region has flowers 10 months in a year. We have teak, Niger, coffee, and recently horticulture crops are being sown in a big way.

Talking to this correspondent, he said each box unit could be manufactured for `10,000. One can easily maintain about 10 honey bee colonies and can earn an income between `50,000 and `1,00,000 per annum, the assistant director said.
He said beekeeping does not need any special land or elaborate structure and does not compete with other agricultural enterprises for the resources. It needs a small investment, and recurring expenditure is negligible.

Beekeeping is a multiple source of income. Beeswax is the second product which has great commercial and industrial value. Sale of queen bees and nucleus colonies by division of parent colonies are other sources of income. Production of other special bee products like royal jelly, bee venom, pollen and propolis can further add to the income.

Above all, pollination by bees improves the quantity and quality of the crop produce and benefits the community as a whole rather than only the individual beekeepers. Thus, a beekeeper can further increase his income by renting out his bee colonies for pollination service, Swamybabu said.