NAFED has just announced its roadmap to help the farmers to setup their Beekeeping and honey extraction units under the scheme of central government. In order to attain the feat, NAFED has launched several programs that will aid Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs) to take the hold in the sector.
Announced in five states, these launches are the pebbles to reach the milestone of self-reliant agriculture in the nation as prospected by Prime Minister, India.
NAFED is one of the 4 implementing agencies that are being asked by the central Government to help create 10,000 FPOs nationwide. Other agencies that are involved in mission are NABARD, Small farmers agri business consortium, National cooperative development council.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently inaugurated this programme. And under this NAFED will help in setting up FPOs for beekeepers in five states — West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
NAFED has already helped set up first honey FPO ‘Chambal FED Shahad Utpadak Sahakari Samiti’ in Madhya Pradesh under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, which was registered on November 11, 2020.
Honey FPOs will prove to be instrumental to farmers in acquiring good knowledge and new techniques about the matter. They will learn to keep the bee in more sound, scientific and comfortable way to obtain the materials such as honey, propolis, wax etc. Furthering it, knowledge about processing and downstream will also be imparted to the stakeholders.Besides, they will also help in quality control lab collection, storage, bottling, and marketing.
Beekeeping is already a well-structured occupation predominantly in rural areas as well as parts of suburban and urban areas. Despite having a larger population depending on it for livelihood, is hit by several constraints in all the shapes. Also, outsourcing of honey to the bigger and well-paid markets is very less thus providing the beekeepers the least incentives to upgrade.
NAFED will act as a bridge between the rural beekeepers and markets. Outsourcing will be perfectly done and incentives will be credit accordingly.
Honey FPO’s by NAFED will also work for the promotion of beekeeping as an occupation for unemployed women and tribal populations and uplift their livelihood.
The honey beekeeping will change the lifestyle of small and marginal farmers and help in achieving the goal of increasing farmers’ income.
FPOs will also get benefit from the government schemes under the National Bee Board’s National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM).That apart, beekeepers and
