Bee farming widely practiced in Nagaland state

Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 26

Beekeeping or bee farming is a widely practiced in Nagaland state and is a growing trend which has become a way of life for many in the state. This was stated in the Annual Administrative Report 2020-21 of the Nagaland Horticulture department.

Beekeeping is as old as history and is an agro-based activity which was introduced in 2005 under National Horticulture Mission for promoting cross pollination of Horticultural Crops, and since then been merged in Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

The report stated that beekeeping is done mostly for honey production in the state and ensures supplementary income for the farmers. In addition, bees do not compete with the crops for the resources and does not require high capital investments, infrastructure or land for their farming, the report stated.

While Bees are reared mostly for their honey production, their role in increasing productivity cannot be denied as all bees are pollinators which are essential for majority of the crops.

It is estimated that over 84% of crops grown for human consumption are dependent on bees and other insects for pollination and thereby increasing their yield and quality, which means that our survival is to a large extend dependent on the existence of bees, according to the report.

In addition to pollination, bees also improve the floral landscape of the planet as they promote floral growth through pollinating the flowers, which in turn creates attractive habitats for other insects, birds and mammals.

It is said that insect driven pollination and nectar gathering from large areas, contributes to a more diverse, sustainable ecosystem and thus, Bee keeping have an important role to play in our endeavor to ensure a sustainable environment.

As a part of encouraging Beekeeping and enhancing pollination, 2000 numbers of bee boxes and bee colonies and 200 sets of bee keeping equipments have been targeted covering all districts of the state with an amount of Rs 48 lakh, the report stated.

In keeping with the tradition of converging with the Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission since 2014-15 for the promotion of Beekeeping, an amount of Rs 24 lakh has been allotted to the NBHM for carrying out their various activities during 2020-21.