National Beekeeping Honey Mission (NBHM)

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Context:

Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping as part of the Integrated Farming System in the country, government approved the allocation for Rs. 500 crore for National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23). The mission was announced as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat scheme. NBHM aims for the overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country to achieve the goal of ‘Sweet Revolution’ which is being implemented through National Bee Board (NBB).

About:

India is one of the major exporters of honey in the world. There are 3 lakh employees extracting about 94,500 Metric tonnes of honey from 30 lakh bee colonies in India. As there is a more significant section of people involved in the business, the Government of India has launched various missions like National Beekeeping Honey Mission to overcome the challenges faced by the beekeepers. In this article, let us have a look at the National Beekeeping Honey Mission (NBHM) in detail.

Beekeeping and Honey Missions in India

Government has set up the National Beekeeping Honey Mission to overcome the crisis in the field and enhance the beekeeping industry in India. The two major missions that look after the beekeeping activities and provide the necessary aids are:

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
• National Bee Board (NBB)

Objective of the Mission

These missions have a clear vision of

1. Constructing a wealthy land with feasible natural environment and economy that will help the beekeepers to be independent.
2. Implementing harmless apiculture technologies
3. Grabbing the global market’s attention and competing them in beekeeping and honey production.
4. Sketching a long-term plan for fostering and development of honey.
5. Improving the cultivation of food products through cross-pollination.
6. Conducting programs and regulations to accomplish the economic, social and environmental objectives through Beekeeping and Honey enterprise.
7. To calendar, the handy ideas of do’s and don’ts in beekeeping.
8. Encouraging scientific beekeeping management practices by incorporating awareness and training to enhance the beekeeper’s skill and knowledge.
9. Encouraging people informing the production regions in every part of the state.
10. Collaborating with the Government to implement the scientific methods by regulating the policies.
11. Driving a robust and efficient organisation through planning, communication and action.
12. Studying and developing protocols of best practices on all the features of beekeeping.
13. Strengthening the market for beekeeping products across National and International borders.
14. To propose and conduct interactive honeybee exhibits at local fairs.

Khadi Village and Industry Committee (KVIC)

• The unorganised and the traditional methods of beekeeping were suspended with the establishment of the Khadi Village and Industry Committee (KVIC). It strengthened the beekeeping activity with the formation of 25 lakh bee colonies. About 2.5 lakh of beekeepers harvested 56,579 MT of honey across the nation, in just 50 years.
• The Committee plays a vital role in the livelihood of the rural areas with its four features rendering the upliftment of beekeepers’ social and economic living standards.
• KVIC acts liaison as an income-generating tool for the beekeepers and beekeeping.
• KVIC ensures better food and medicine with the value of honey production and other hive products.
• KVIC supports cross-pollination that pays the way for agriculture crops.
• KVIC works enormously in constructing afforestation.

Schemes and Accomplishments under KVIC

1. KVIC has paved the way for the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It provides financial aid to the beekeepers through several schemes. They are:
   • Capital Expenditure Loan (CE Loan) on subsidized interest
   • Working Capital Loan (WC Loan) on subsidized interest
   • Short-term Stocking
2. Rural Employment Generation Scheme (REGP), Prime Minister Employment Generation Scheme (PMEGP), was introduced to upgrade the traditional beekeeping methods to the scientific methods.
3. A set of 12 beekeeping clusters were constructed, by UNDP. It also accompanies with the beekeeping infrastructure for better beekeeping in specified areas.
4. The NGOs, SFURTI and KRDP, implemented 11 beekeeping and 3 Beekeeping clusters, respectively.

National Bee Board (NBB)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmer’s Welfare established the National Bee Board (NBB) in the year 2000. Though the main motto of the board is to improve pollination and crop productivity through beekeeping, it attributes the following:

1. Research and Development of honey processing units
2. To sketch schemes and establish training through research institutions
3. Production of quality honey- The innovation of Phyto-Sanitary standards in terms of Bee-Product quality
4. Migration of honeybee colonies- Enabling the longer and safe migration of honeybees
5. Creating awareness and organizing training- Research and training on the disease-prone and its medication.

Funds under NBHM Mission

All the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises governed by the national bodies approve an amount of Rs.49.78 Crores every year through the KVIC. The amount is allocated for the employment and income to rural youth, both men and women for preserving the honeybee environment. The government encourages the standardisation of beekeeping by allocating larger funds. All the honey keeping missions focuses not only on the enhancement of the beekeeping but also on the generation of the 11,000 employment every year.

Eligibility Criteria for NBHM Funding

1. Checklists that are considered for the selection of beneficiary under the honey mission,
2. The applicant should belong to SC/ST/NE-State candidate.
3. Applicants with a valid Aadhar Card and the age between 18 years and 55 years are only eligible to apply under the mission.
4. Only one in a family will be eligible, who shall be provided with a set of 10 bee boxes, 10 bee colonies and tool kits.
5. The beekeepers already maintaining more than 10 bee colonies are not considered to be eligible.
6. KVIC/KVIB/NABARD/KVK(s)/Agriculture – Horticulture Board’s trained candidates shall be preferred.
7. The beneficiaries who are availing/availed the benefits from any other Government Schemes shall not be considered eligible.
8. Beekeepers who failed to multiply their bee colonies from 10 to 18 over a year should surrender all their bee colonies, hives and kits.