Andhra Pradesh: Training in beekeeping for Araku tribal women

VISAKHAPATNAM: A livelihood enterprise development programme (LEDP) on

beekeeping

, funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) and supported by the organisation Vikasa, recently commenced at

Araku

Valley.


The objective of the programme is to train 90 tribal women in beekeeping and nurture them into becoming professional beekeepers within a year. Women from Dumbriguda, Chompi and Pedalabudu panchayats in Araku Valley will be trained in batches. Existing farmer producer companies (FPCs) will look after marketing Araku honey which is in high demand. After training, the women will be provided with loans from Vana Vikasa Mutually Aided Cooperative Thrift Societies for meeting the initial costs of setting up five boxes.

Elaborating on the project, Kiran Sakkhari, executive director of Vikasa said, “Araku has rich flora and in the Rabi season, large-scale cultivation of nizer crop with its yellow bloom offers scope for promoting beekeeping activity as it is a major source of nectar for honey bees during September to January. In fact, beekeepers from other districts migrate to Araku during this season. They use a European bee called Apis mellifera, which has better potential to collect honey. However, this requires migration to an area where there is large bloom available. Therefore, beekeeping with local bees was undertaken, which proved successful and 20 families are continuing it and selling honey at Rs 500 per kg.”


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