Describing the beekeeping industry as the need of the hour, he said that this eco-friendly industry not only produces honey which gives income to the entrepreneurs/farmers, but also increases the productivity of the crop by up to 30 percent due to the pollen grains spread by the bees.
National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) Govt. of India has approved a new Central Sector Scheme entitled National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) for 2 years for overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping in mission mode to achieve the goal of Sweet Revolution in the country by giving thrust on capacity building & trainings, specific focus on women, input support for promotion & production, setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), other Infrastructures, Digitization /online registration, etc., processing, value addition, market support, etc. & R&D under 3 Mini Missions (MMs)-MM-1, MM-2 & MM-3.
Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping and to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution” the need for holistic development of beekeeping was felt. Accordingly, a new Central Sector Scheme “National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)” for overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping and production of quality honey & other beehive products is approved by the Govt. of India. The scheme will be implemented through National Bee Board as a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Govt.).
The NBHM will have following sub-schemes/ three Mini Missions: (a) Mini Mission-I: Under this Mission, thrust will be given on production & productivity improvement of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific beekeeping; (b) Mini Mission-II: This Mission will concentrate on post-harvest management of beekeeping/ beehive products including collection, processing, storage, marketing, value addition, etc. with a thrust to develop requisite infrastructural facilities for these activities; and (c) Mini Mission-III: This Mission will concentrate on Research & Technology generation for different Regions/ States/ Agro-Climatic and Socio-Economic conditions.
The NBHM will work in coordination with other Governmental programs / schemes relating to promotion of beekeeping, viz.; MIDH, RKVY, Honey Mission of KVIC, MSME, NLRM/ SLRM, M/o Rural Development, M/o EF&CC, M/o Tribal Affairs, M/o Commerce & Industry, AYUSH, ICAR, etc., for overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country. The NBHM will provide technical guidance/ advise and administrative support to the implementing agencies at the National & State level for effective & smooth implementation of the scheme.
The main objectives of NBHM are given as under:
Promoting holistic growth of beekeeping industry for income & employment generation, providing livelihood support to farm and non-farm households and to enhance agriculture/ horticulture production;
Developing additional infrastructural facilities for developing quality nucleus stock of honeybees, multiplication of stock by bee breeders, setting up of disease diagnostic labs, Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs)/ Centres of Excellence (CoEs) on Beekeeping, beekeeping equipment manufacturing units, etc. and post-harvest and marketing infrastructures, including honey processing plants, storages/ cold storages, collection, branding, marketing, etc. centre, etc.;
Setting up of State of the Art Quality Control Labs for testing of honey & other beehive products at Regional Levels and Mini / Satellite Labs at Distt. Levels in main honey producing Districts/ States;
To develop blockchain/ traceability system for traceability of source of honey & other beehive products and using IT tools in beekeeping, including online registration, etc.;
To develop and facilitate Honey Corridors in potential areas;
To promote agri- entrepreneurs & agri- startup for their involvement in beekeeping/ Honey production;
To promote trade- agreements between beekeepers & traders/ honey processors/ exporters, etc.;
To promote, develop and disseminate latest and State of the Art Technologies and skill development in beekeeping industry for production of honey & other high value beehive products;
Empowerment of Women through Beekeeping;
To maximize, economic, ecological and social benefits by diversification through beekeeping by production of higher quantity and good quality of honey and other high value beehive products, viz.; bee wax, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, comb honey, bee venom, etc. for domestic and export market; and
To strengthen beekeepers by developing institutional framework through collective approach viz.; formation of SHGs/ FPOs/ Beekeepers Cooperatives/ Federations, etc
For effective and smooth implementation of the Scheme in the country/ field, the Scheme will be implemented by involving the followings Organizations/ Agencies under overall supervision & guidance of NBHM Cell/ Unit/ NBB/ HPBI, DAC&FW:
Organizations/ Agencies of the State Departments of Horticulture/ Agriculture/ Forest, etc., viz.; State Bee Boards/ State Bee Missions, State Govt. Societies/ Companies, NHM/ HMNEH, etc.,
NDDB/ GCMMF/ Dairy Cooperatives/ Federations/ NCDC/ NAFED, other Cooperatives which are member of NBB,
other Member Societies/ Firms/ Companies of NBB,
ICAR/ CAUs/ SAUs, Other Research Organizations/ Institutes including AICRP (HB&P);
KVIC/ State Khadi & Village Industry Boards, NI-MSME, etc. under MSME; etc.
Organizations/ Agencies of M/o EF&CC,
Organizations/ Agencies of M/o FPI,
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH,
State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM)/ National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development,
TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and
North East Region Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), M/o DONER, etc
National Level: Setting up of Mission/ NBHM Project Management Unit/ Cell (PMU):
A dedicated PMU/ Cell at National level to drive and steer programme on beekeeping”, at National level will be set up to look after overall execution & implementation, monitoring, etc.
of the scheme in the country under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. PMU/ Cell/ Unit will be headed by the Mission Director with four to five Experts /Theme Experts and other supporting staff.
Theme Experts will include Experts from the different field as per the requirement of NBHM including Experts for implementation, monitoring, supervision of activities under Mini Mission-I, II & III under NBHM. Horticulture Commissioner, DAC&FW has been designated as Mission Director, NBHM.
Committees:
At National level, the following Committees will work for effective & smooth implementation of NBHM:
General Council (GC)/ National Level Steering Committee (NLSC):
GC/ NLSC will be constituted under NBHM Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will be the Chairman of GC/NLSC
Enhances yields & quality of produce of various crops viz., fruits, vegetables, pulses, oil seeds, etc. through pollination support.
Helps in sustainable development of Agriculture and Environment.
Helps in maintaining Bio-diversity.
There is no exception of beekeeping. It is an important input in Agriculture and serves as low cost technology.
Increases income of beekeepers/ farmers/ land less labours, etc. through production of honey & other beehive products, viz.; Bees wax, Propolis, Pollen, Royal Jelly, Bee venom, comb honey, etc. which have great importance in human life.
Generates employment.
Serves as a source of livelihood.
It helps in prosperity of farmers, healthy people and strong Nation.
No more bee- no more pollination- no more plants- no more animals- no more food and no more life on the earth.
Adopt Scientific Beekeeping for own and Nation’s prosperity
National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) will be implemented through National Bee Board (NBB) as a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Government) component under the existing vertical “Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)”, as a part of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Green Revolution”.
Funds would not be routed through the State Governments under Major Head “3601” but through the relevant Central Sector Major Head.
SUPPORT/ PATTERN OF ASSISTANCE:
The subsidy pattern approved under the scheme will be as under:
For States other than NE & Himalayan States:
50% in case of individual beneficiaries/ Societies/ Firms / Companies;
75% in case of institutional framework, including Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ Joint Liability Groups (JLGs)/ Farmers/ Beekeepers Interested Groups (FIGs)/ Co-operatives/ FPOs/ FPCs/ Member Beekeepers’ Federations (MBFs) of NBB/ MBFs registered with NBB, etc.; and
100% for National/ State level Governmental Organizations, including NBB, ICAR, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/ Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), etc.
For North Eastern Region & Himalayas States:
90% for all individuals, institutions/ organizations/ societies/ Co-operatives/ Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ Joint Liability Groups (JLGs)/ Farmers/ Beekeepers Interested Groups (FIGs)/ Societies/ Firms /Companies/ FPOs/ Member Societies/ Firms/ Companies of NBB/ FPCs, etc.; and
100% for Government agencies/ organizations,
For Capacity Building Programmes:
For Capacity Building Programmes, including trainings, seminars, skill development for farmers/ beekeepers, officials, etc., the pattern of funding/ subsidy be 100% for all the implementing agencies.
This Mission will concentrate on production & productivity improvement of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific beekeeping.
Thrust will be given on setting up of integrated Beekeeping & Development Centres (IBDCs)/ Centres of Excellence (CoEs) on Beekeeping in the States
Two types of Models for development of beekeeping in the field shall also be implemented under this Mission/ Scheme, details of which are summarized as under
Model- I: Under this model, farmers/ beekeepers who are interested in adopting scientific beekeeping, as entrepreneurs, will be trained & encouraged for practicing scientific beekeeping with technically feasible and economically viable unit, i.e. at least 50 honeybee colonies, each of 10 frames in beehives with supers, etc. and other beekeeping equipments or its multiplication either individually or in cohesive group.
This will serve the purpose of pollination support to the crops grown by the farmers/ beekeepers and become a viable small entrepreneur/ beekeeper; and
Model- II: Under this model, the youth/ farmers/ start up/ beekeepers who are interested to develop as entrepreneurs for providing custom hiring services to the farmers who are not able to do beekeeping themselves but need pollination support for their crops.
Therefore, under this model, the support to develop Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) will be provided.
The support will be given for developing requisite infrastructural facilities, including support for equipments for production of high value beehive products, etc.
One CHC should at least maintain 1000 honeybee colonies along with all requisite tools, equipments, machinery, etc.
For multiplication of quality Nucleus Stock for increasing the availability of quality honeybee colonies in the country, Bee Breeders will be encouraged.
Under this component assistance may be given to experienced Member Beekeepers/ Member Societies/ Firms/ Companies of NBB.
The Bee breeders promoted/ developed under this component are supposed to produce minimum number of 2000 quality bee colonies per year for continuous three years