BEE-KEEPNG BENEFITS FARMERS IN MULTIPLE WAYS: DR L.S. BRAR

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 26:-------



Dr L.S. Brar, Director,Department of Horticulture, Punjab while addressing the concluding session of 'Advance training course in bee breeding, mass queen bee rearing techniques & hive products production' organized by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said that the practical trainings are greatly beneficial for the agricultural and horticultural officials in the development of beekeeping in the State. Punjab has become a leading Indian state in honey production , he said. The officials equipped with information and knowledge during the training will be able to do well in this highly knowledge-intensive venture, he said. He shared that the State provides subsidies to the farmers for starting beekeeping and purchase of related equipment and to the beekeepers in initiating breeding programmes for the supply of the bee colonies. He highlighted the useful schemes of National Horticulture Mission (NHM), which the farmers should get benefit from. Dr Brar lauded the role of PAU in beekeeping development in the State and the country and shared that there is enormous scope of development and expansion in beekeeping in the country. He distributed the certificates among trainees. Two booklets on apiculture by the PAU beekeeping experts were also distributed among the participants.



Dr D.S. Cheema, Dean, College of Agriculture, PAU who was Guest of Honour , shared that Punjab is the leading state in apiculture with 37 % share in the national apiary honey production. Sharing the benefits associated with bee-keeping, he said that besides providing hive products, the bees also are the most efficient pollinators that help in augmenting crops' productivity and farm returns. Farmers can enhance their farm income by taking up bee-keeping as a subsidiary occupation, said Dr Cheema adding that PAU has trained a large number of beekeepers in the state.



Dr D.S. Brar, officiating as Head of the Department of Entomology shared that beekeeping is highly specialized economic activity which is less labour intensive and more remunerative. He shared that intensive research and extension efforts of the PAU have made Punjab to lead in beekeeping and in honey production over a very short period. Dr Brar suggested the participants to employ the knowledge they learnt on their fields.



Earlier, Dr P.K. Chhuneja,Technical Coordinator of the programme, delved that 32 extension officers/ scientist acquired the training and informed that apiculture scientists conducted six trainings during the last four months under the aegis of a National Horticulture Mission funded project. He revealed that the trainees were imparted practical knowledge on selection of stock, techniques of mass rearing of queen bees, quality drone bees, establishment of mating nuclei, gyne cell grafting, selective breeding, queen bee banks and on preparing bee packages. The trainees were also imparted training on new queen bee rearing techniques involving Karl-Jenter & Cup-Kit Systems, he said adding that the participants were made aware about techniques for production of royal jelly, propolis, pollen, bees wax, etc.
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