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Context

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare launched 'Amul Honey- a product of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.

 

Highlights

• In order to increase the income of these small farmers, it is necessary to connect them with other dimensions of agriculture like beekeeping.
• Promoting beekeeping and selling honey through cooperatives will give a boost to the rural economy.
• They can also produce additional by products of beekeeping, viz.; bees wax, pollen, royal jelly, as these products have high demand and better prices in Indian and international market.
• But quality of honey is a major concern in the country for which 5 large scale Regional Honey Testing Labs and 100 Mini Honey Testing Labs are being set up all over the country.

 

Read: https://www.iasgyan.in/blogs/food-adulteration-the-death-of-business-ethics

 

Other Initiatives

• The Honey Mission Programme was launched by Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of MSME, during 2017-18.
• It is being implemented to promote Bee Keeping activities and provide self-sustaining employment opportunities among farmers, Adivasies and unemployed youth in rural India, especially in economically backward and remote areas.
• Under the programme, beneficiaries are provided with Bee Boxes, live bee colonies, tool kits and training.
• Under National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) scheme under Ministry of Agriculture, scientific beekeeping is promoted for holistic growth of the sector, leading to income and employment generation, livelihood support to farm and non-farm households.
• Besides, under ‘A Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ (SFURTI) implemented by the Ministry of MSME, traditional beekeepers are provided with sustainable employment by organizing them into clusters, and supporting them with new machineries and training.
• Last year, the Honey FPO Programme of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) was inaugurated by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• NAFED will address these issues by acting as an intermediary and filling up the gaps between the elements of the beekeeping supply chain and also ensure price remuneration to the beekeeping farmers.
• Through these Honey FPOs, NAFED will also work for promotion of beekeeping as an occupation for unemployed women and tribal populations and uplift their livelihood”.

 

Significance

• Sweet revolution

Sweet Revolution‘ is a strategic step to emphasize the increase in honey production in the state, which can be a major contributor to doubling the income of the farmers.

• With the increase in income, the production of crops will also increase by 15%.
• Purpose of sweet revolution

1. Providing employment by connecting the farmers of the state with bee keeping.
2. To increase agriculture and horticulture yield and income of farmers.
3. To make the state the leading state in the field of honey production.
4. Children free from malnutrition.
5. Production of quality honey.

• Honey beekeeping will change the lifestyle of small and marginal farmers and help in achieving the goal of increasing farmer’s income.

 

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1759036