GUWAHATI / JALUKBARI, Aug 19 - State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora today said that the farmers of the State must consider bee-keeping and honey production as a viable option for augmenting their income, which would reflect in the overall development of the State.
�Producing pure and organic honey by adopting the scientific methods of bee-keeping can go a long way in augmenting the farmers� income in State. As the allied activities of agriculture are gaining popularity worldwide, we need to explore the opportunities in this field,� he stated while speaking as the chief guest of the World Honey Bee Day programme organised by State Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing today.
The programme was organised at the Momai Tamuli Barbarua Training Hall, Khanapara, in collaboration with the Salt Range Pvt Ltd. An exhibition on bee-keeping and honey production was also held.
A number of bee-keepers from across the State attended the programme, where technical and interactive sessions were organised to apprise them of the latest trends and methods in this field.
The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) also celebrated the World Honey Bee Day today at the Guwahati Press Club. The institute pledged to make a revolution by introducing bamboo-made bee box, which can be an effective alternative to the expensive wooden boxes.
Speaking at the event, Dr Sriparna B Baruah, Head, Centre for Industrial Extension, IIE, said that as bamboo is easily available in abundance in the rural areas of NE region, it can be a better option for the bee-keepers of the region. She added that such bamboo boxes are suitable for the bees as bamboo maintains a healthy temperature inside the box, which increases production of honey.
During the event, the institute appealed to the bee-keeping fraternity to develop low-cost bee boxes made of bamboo, which will be the first of its kind in the North East. This will encourage more villagers to start bee-keeping, as procuring expensive wooden bee boxes often poses the biggest hurdle for them.
From the past seven months, the institute has successfully trained 250 beneficiaries towards a new livelihood opportunity through bee-keeping and honey processing after implementing Oil Jeevika, a CSR Project supported by the Indian Oil Limited, Duliajan. Manoj Kumar Das, Director, IIE, was also present on the occasion.
The students of the Sri Guru Nanak National High School, Guwahati, also celebrated World Honey Bee Day today on the school campus.
Students took part in essay-writing and art contests on the topic of honeybee and its importance. They also spoke on the subject and participated in a cultural programme.
