MUSHALPUR, March 26 - A daylong training programme on beekeeping was held among 25 girl students of Indralal Pathak Girls� High School at Nikasi in Baksa district on March 24.
The apiary training programme was supported by the Khadi Village Industries Commission and implemented by Green Environment Task Force, a non-profit organisation working in the field of sustainable agriculture with its focus area on scientific beekeeping and conservation of honeybee species.
The programme started with a thought-provoking speech from Debajit Borah of GETF, who threw light on different aspects of beekeeping, like history, species of honeybees, types of honey bees in a hive and demonstration on movable frame hive.
�Honeybees pollinate most of the fruits and vegetables that human beings consume. Most flowering plants are pollinated by honey bees. Honeybees pollinate by visiting flowers and plants and sucking the nectar out of them. While feeding on the flower, the pollen therein sticks to the honeybee and is carried to the next flower. Pollination helps flowers and plants continue to spread their seeds and grow to produce the oxygen that humans breathe�, he explained .
He added that honeybees pollinate around 80% of the world�s crops, which contribute 98% of vitamin C, 55% of folic acid, 70% of vitamin A and 29% of iron to human nutrition globally. Honey is a complete food, which if taken by the girls every day will help in decreasing nutrient deficiency.
Honeybees are the most efficient monitors of the environment. Extinction of honeybees will jeopardise biodiversity, global food webs and human health.
Chandan Haloi, Beekeeping Supervisor of Forest Based Industries, KVIC briefed on royal jelly extraction and the health benefits of royal jelly on human health, the healing properties of bee sting and its beneficial effect on arthritis pain. He presented a demonstration on hive site selection, hive establishment and introduction of live colonies
Local beekeepers Santiram Bhattarai, Deepa Gautam and Rimpa Gautam shared their experiences on bee handling and methodology of beekeeping to the students. Four bee-boxes with live colonies were also established in the school premises.
