Union Minister Sarangi distributes 700 bee boxes to 70 migrant workers in UP

Bee boxes were distributed at KVIC's training centre in Panjokera. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Sarangi lauded the initiative and said that while roping in these workers with beekeeping will create local employment, it will also contribute to increasing India's honey production which is the core objective of the Honey Mission.

Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Tuesday distributed 700 bee boxes to 70 migrant workers of Saharanpur and Bulandshahr districts of Uttar Pradesh, providing them with livelihood opportunity under the 'Honey Mission'. The migrant workers — 40 from Saharanpur and 30 from Bulandshahr — had returned to their hometown from states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, facing financial distress due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) identified these workers, imparted them 5-day training on beekeeping, and provided the necessary tool kit and bee boxes to them to carry out beekeeping activities. The entire western Uttar Pradesh region, with abundance of flora that includes a variety of crops, is ideal for honey production. Bee boxes were distributed at KVIC's training centre in Panjokera.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Sarangi lauded the initiative and said that while roping in these workers with beekeeping will create local employment, it will also contribute to increasing India's honey production which is the core objective of the Honey Mission. "It is a great initiative. Creating employment to migrant workers at their doorsteps will make them self-reliant," said Sarangi.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said roping in migrant workers with beekeeping is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'self-reliance' by promoting local industries. "Beekeeping will not only increase India's honey production but it will also increase the income of the beekeepers. Further, products such as bee wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom are also marketable and hence, a profitable proposition for the locals," Saxena said.

The Honey Mission, launched by KVIC three years ago, aims at creating employment for farmers, Adivasis, women and unemployed youth by roping in them for beekeeping, and increasing India's honey production. So far, KVIC has distributed 1.35 lakh bee boxes in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura, among others. This has benefited 13,500 people across the country while producing nearly 8,500 million tonnes honey.