-SATISH HANDA

Haryana state popular for production of 17 varieties of honey including Sarson, Neem, Safeda, Sheesham, Keekar, Jamun, Leechi, Saunf, Dhania, Ajwain, Tulsi, Jandi, Sun-flower, and Multi-flower. Bee farmers in the state having more than 2.5 lakh bee boxes to produce organic raw honey are not only supplying organic honey all over in the country but also exporting the same mainly to United States, Europe, Canada and few other countries. According to honey exporters, honey procured from Sarson flowers during months November to February is in much demand in export markets. According to bee farmers and honey exporters, they witnessed drastic fall in sale this year during peak sale months March to June due to corona virus spread across the world. Information reveals, nearly 50000 quintal Sarson honey is being exported from India every year, but due to epidemic outbreak Indian exporters failed to get order this year and able to sell hardly 15-20% honey due to poor demand. Information also reveals, out of total production of honey in Haryana state between 90 to 95% production is being exported to other countries every year and remaining quantity is consumed locally..

Horticulture department in Haryana has set up an Integrated Beekeeping & Processing Centre in collaboration with Israel near Kurukshetra on which amount worth Rs 10.50 crore was spent by the government. Billu Yadav Deputy Director Integrated Beekeeping & Processing Development Corporation told that this year bee farming could not be done properly as such government in the centre has announced a special package for Rs 500 crore for bee farmers in the country. He said, honey processing centres by farmers in private sector has also been set up in Haryana state at Fatehabad and Jhajjar having facilities for double filter processing at 40-45 degree temperature to keep its nutritious contents intact for use in preparing jams, biscuits, candy, gulukand, murabba and medicines especially to increase immunity system in body. Yadav said, state government has also opened bee farming training centres at Gharaunda, Uchana, Kurukshetra and Panchkula in the state. He said, there is provision for 85% subsidy on bee farming by the government. When talked to few bee farmers, they expressed lack of cooperation by the government, exploitation by the buyers as well as exporters, transportation of honey and shortage of flower cultivation in the state some of the problems faced by them. They demanded government to fix minimum support price of honey like other crops.

Its a success story a young teacher Subhash started beekeeping business with only six bee boxes about 24 years ago at a small village Hafizpur in Yamunanagarv district and have 2000 bee boxes in his farm at present providing employment to nearly 20 persons supplying huge variety of honey after processing and filtering in his own plant supplying 120-130 tons honey every year all over in the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He was awarded for his outstanding entrepreneurship by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter some time ago.

Nearly 550 bee farmers in Haryana state under the chairmanship of Anil Sindhu resident of village Khanda Khedi in Hisar district finding bee farmers in the state being exploited by the buyers of honey constituted Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) to sell honey to prominent wholesale buyers, which brought 10 to 15% extra margin on the sale to nearly 2000 bee farmers in the state benefited by the Organization. Sindhu told that FPO procuring nearly   200 tons honey from bee farmers and supplying to wholesale buyers in the country and those willing to get it tested, processed and packed seeking help of Integrated Beekeeping & Processing unit at Kurukshetra at nominal charges and most of the buyers are procuring  processed honey ready to use.