Koraput: Beekeeping was started in Koraput with the support of NABARD and Harsha Trust in January this year. A total of 250 poor tribal farmers were included in this work taken up in pilot phase in Nandpur and Baipariguda blocks.
More than Rs 1.41 crore has been spent in the form of boxes with bees, honey spraying machine and training of farmers and other workers in this work.
During the last 10 months, 2455 kg of honey has been produced in surprisingly few days and by selling it, 110 farmers of Miliguda, Ambapada, Kiram, D Khudub, and Andri villages have earned Rs 2,87,000.
Their efforts was appreciated by NABARD Odisha Chief, PD DRDA, and ORMAS staff of Koraput.
In the current situation, due to lack of rainfall, forest insects, lack of flowers, the number of bees is continuously decreasing. Due to this, the morale of the farmers is down.
The staff of Harsha Trust and DDM of NABARD met the farmers at Nandpur, trained and provided them with bees. They also explained to the farmers how to adopt it as a major part of their livelihood in the future.
Madhu Khara, Bividas Matam, Malesh and other farmers of D Khudub and Miliguda villages thanked both NABARD and Harsha Trust. With this, the farmers are voluntarily showing interest in bee farming.
NABARD and Harsha Trust aim to involve more and more farmers in Koraput district.
In recent years NABARD’s Odisha Chief and an MP from Andhra Pradesh also visited Mimuguda along with the farmers of their districts to discuss the marketing of honey and to introduce Koraput honey as Koraput coffee throughout India.
Finally, he expressed interest in buying 500 kilos of honey. NABARD and Harsha Trust hope that Koraput district will gain a special place for bee cultivation in future.
