National Workshop on Role of Agri Startups in Honey Value Chain held in Varanasi
In line with PM Modi’s clarion call towards
creating AtmaNirbhar Bharat, focus is on nurturing potential budding Agri startups
& FPOs through support under NBHM scheme: Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional
Secretary, DA&FW
National Bee
Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with
National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh,
organized a National Workshop on Role of Agri Start-ups in Honey Value Chain at
NSRTC Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh today. Beekeepers, honey Startups and FPOs,
stakeholders in beekeeping, officials from various Ministries/ Government
Organizations/ Institutes, State Departments of Horticulture, State
Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/ Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), etc
participated in the workshop.
In his opening remarks, Dr NK Patle, Additional
Commissioner (Horticulture) and Executive Director, NBB briefed about the role
of role of Agri Start-ups in Honey Value Chain. He also highlighted the role of
National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) and its contribution in the beekeeping
sector, including promotion & facilitation for honey startups and
FPOs. He highlighted that implementation of NBHM scheme is also intended
to strengthen the infrastructure facilities for honey collection, storage,
processing, testing & branding centres, which ultimately enhance the
potential of beekeeping in the nation. He invited Honey Startups & FPOs to
avail the facilities available under NBHM and adopt beekeeping in a scientific
manner to get additional income through honey & other beehive products.
Addressing the participants in the workshop, Dr Sudhashu
Singh, Director, ISARC Varanasi said that the Government is committed towards
increasing the overall potential of beekeeping industry in the country,
including supporting the honey startups and FPOs in beekeeping. He mentioned
that in order to alter the scenario of the Indian agriculture and beekeeping,
it is essential to emphasize more on small and marginal beekeepers and small
entrepreneurs who form the majority in Indian agricultural economy. NBHM is
supporting agri- entrepreneurs/ startups for their involvement in beekeeping/
Honey production. He mentioned that promotion and formation of FPOs is the
first step for converting Krishi into Atmanirbhar Krishi and for this he
assured that implementation of NBHM scheme will bring the revolutionary changes
by strengthening the institutional framework in beekeeping sector and
information & promotion of Honey startups.
Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, DA&FW
mentioned that working in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call
towards creating AtmaNirbhar Bharat, focus is on nurturing potential budding
Agri startups & FPOs through support under NBHM scheme and motivate them to
choose beekeeping as an attractive career. He assured that implementation of
NBHM will upgrade skills in scientific beekeeping, setting up of
state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities for processing honey and allied
beekeeping products like bee’s wax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, etc.,
quality upgradation by quality control laboratories and create better supply
chain by setting up of collection, storage, bottling and marketing centres.
Dr MP Yadav, Director, NSRTC, Varanasi stated that such
kind of workshops/ awareness programs provide handheld platform and create
awareness among budding agri-startups to come forward in the potential
agriculture and horticulture sector, including beekeeping. He assured support
to participants in various aspects relating to startups in beekeeping.
Start-ups from MANAGE and other states like Tribe Grown
Enterprise, Amravati, Maharashtra; Vanabandhu NRMS (OPC) Pvt Ltd, Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh; Raghunti Bee Products, Rohtak, Haryana; Madhu Makhi Wala,
Barabanki, U.P; Satish Sharma from Brij Honeyfed FPOs of NAFED and Ranjeet
Kumar, Innovative Bee Farms Pvt Ltd shared their experience and explained about
their products being marketed in the country. They also highlighted the
importance of Honey Value Chain being created by various stakeholders. These
startups are promoting honey sector by Queen breeding, comb, raw honey
production and food supplement of bee pollen.