Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 421/14

CM LAUNCHES STATE APICULTURE MISSION

Shillong, October 16, 2014: Thousands of beekeepers and farmers from across the State converged at the 5th Ground, Polo Ground, Shillong to be a part of the official launching of the State Apiculture Mission by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma. The programme was organized by the Department of Commerce & Industries under the aegis of the Integrated Basin Development & Livelihood Promotion Programme (IBDLP).

The vision of the Apiculture Mission is to upscale and promote apiculture as an organized industrial enterprise that will provide livelihood, gainful employment opportunities, improve rural economy and enhance the ecological system of the State. The broad objectives of the mission are to intensify honey production in the state in terms of enhanced production and productivity, to expand the demand for honey in the emerging social matrix, to motivate traditional beekeepers for adoption of modern and scientific beekeeping practices to increase the productivity of honey, to motivate unemployed youth to take up beekeeping enterprise as a means of self employment and sustainable economic source among others.

Through this Mission, the Government hoped that over a period of 5 to 7 years, 50,000 farmers will be involved and raise a minimum of 5 bee colonies per farmer. Thus the mission will be raising 2, 50,000 bee colonies and producing 2000 MT of honey. Over the next six to eight months it is anticipated that 2700 beekeepers would be involved in the mission with a minimum of 15,000 hives and a production of 120 MT of honey.

The Chief Minister in his speech said that the State Government has embarked upon a number of interventions so that opportunities can be provided to the citizens to be productive and that every family can commensurate the economic needs. Underlining the need for a mechanism to enhance the economic growth of the citizens and to supplement the earning capacity of the farmers, the Chief Minister said that the Government has introduced a flagship programme, the IBDLP which is a mission that can bring livelihood opportunities to the people. He also said that apiculture is being taken up as a separate mission because there is an understanding that beekeeping business can supplement the livelihood activity and moreover it will help enhance productivity level of agricultural, horticultural and fodder seed crop and help in conservation of bio-diversity in general. To enhance the knowledge of beekeeping, Dr. Sangma said that the Apiculture Mission has received the right start with the Masters’ trainers and hoped that it will go a long way in promoting Apiculture as an organized industrial enterprise through technology, capacity building and marketing intervention, he said.

Apart from other missions under IBDLP, the Chief Minister also informed that in the month of November, Mission Organic and Mission Livestock will also be launched in the State.

Meghalaya Minister for Home (Police), Mrs. Roshan Warjri, in her speech as the Guest of Honour, said that bees help in maintaining the ecological balance through their pollinating service. She also informed that the traditional method of beekeeping in Meghalaya by rearing bees in hollow wooden logs is crude and destructive and therefore there is a need to enhance the scientific method of beekeeping that can be converted into a small scale industry. She urged the master trainers to acquaint themselves to new technology and methods and fully equipped themselves before training the bee farmers.

As part of the launching, the Chief Minister released the Beekeeping Resource Manual for Beekeepers of Meghalaya and distributed beekeeping kits to 21 beekeepers and farmers of Laitkroh & Khatarshnong EFC. Others who spoke on the occasion were the Meghalaya Chief Secretary, Mr. P B O Warjri and Commissioner and Secretary Planning and Deputy CEO, MBDA, Mr. P Jain. The welcome address was delivered by Mr. P W Ingty, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Industries while Mr. W Langstang, Director, Commerce and Industries offered the vote of thanks.