GUWAHATI, May 20 - To create awareness about the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem, World Bee Day was celebrated today at Byrnihat near Guwahati with a daylong programme organised by Honey Bee Mission.
In this connection, a workshop on bee keeping was also organised, where Mowsam Hazarika, agricultural expert, and former editor of Bigyan Jeuti, participated as a resource person.
In his keynote address,�Hazarika said more than half of global food crops rely on animal pollination. However, numerous statistics suggest the sad reality of today�s species, facing higher extinction rates due to man-made impacts. During the workshop, he also explained about the scientific beekeeping and income generating aspects of honey bee production.�
It may be mentioned that May 20 coincides with the birthday of Anton Jansa, who pioneered the modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia in the 18th century. To honour his legacy and to raise awareness about beekeeping, the United Nations approved Slovenia�s proposal recently in December 2017 to proclaim May 20 as World Bee Day.
Honey bees and other pollinators like butterflies, bats and hummingbirds are increasingly under threat from human activities. Bees and other pollinators allow plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Not only do they contribute directly to food security, but experts suggest they also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signalling the health of ecosystems.
Several educated youths participated in the workshop and interacted with the different experts present in the programme.
Bimal Roy, Amrit Singh and Debojit Saha of Honey Bee Mission demonstrated the various products related to honey bee production in the workshop.
