Push for Honey Mission in BTR

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's appeal to the Khadi and Village Industries Commission to launch a honey mission in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in a big way has added to the post-accord peace dividend. Motivating the farm community and particularly the youth will be critical to making the desired sweet revolution successful in the BTR. The Bodo heartland has already left behind a bitter past of decades of bloodshed and violence and has embarked on a journey of peace and development which needs to be sustained by augmenting household income and generating non-traditional employment avenues. Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Cooperation, appealed to KVIC while launching the sale of khadi products in 107 canteens of Central Armed Police Forces while speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a Central Workshop and Store of Border Security Force at Tamulpur. He also announced that all canteens of paramilitary forces will begin selling khadi products very soon which is going to boost demand for natural honey and other khadi products. Farmers in vast areas of the BTR grow rapeseed and mustard which creates an ideal natural ecosystem for beekeeping. The Baksa district, for instance, has over 11,000 hectares of land under rapeseed and mustard cultivation. The traditional knowledge of Bodos and other communities of collecting wild honey in BTR provides a launching pad for motivators to push for practising beekeeping at home. As connectivity projects have got a boost in the BTR, market accessibility of farmers has increased which is an additional advantage. As the majority of farmers are small, marginal, and landless, cooperative initiatives are needed for aggregating marketable produce to foster growth in the farm sector. Beekeeping being less labour intensive compared to paddy and other traditional farming, its promotion along with food processing, and livestock rearing as a means of doubling farmers' will find more takers. This will depend on KVIC initiatives to reach out to potential honeybee keepers, motivate them and quality skill development training. Bodoland Territorial Council authorities can play the catalyst role by facilitating such training and motivational campaign in the BTR and sharing the cost so that more farmers can be reached. Bhutan imports huge quantities of natural honey from India but beekeepers in the BTR or other parts of Assam have not been able to tap this potential. BTR being located along the Assam-Bhutan border has the geographic advantage for cross-border trade and commerce of farm produce and processed foods besides other items. Return of peace has restored the confidence of traders in Bhutan to deepen trade and commerce with India through BTR which brings opportunities for BTC authorities and people to explore new avenues to income opportunities. Assam Cabinet's decision to provide land for setting up the Royal Bhutanese consulate is a pointer towards Assam and BTC playing a pivotal role in deepening bilateral engagement between India and Bhutan. The KVIC launched Honey Mission in 2017 in response to a Sweet Kranti call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The KVIC being engaged in the development of the beekeeping industry in the country since 1957 have huge expertise and knowledge as well as understanding about gaps in quality control, processing, and branding in honey products of traditional beekeepers. Honey production in the country recorded a quantum jump from 94,500 MT in 2016-17 to 1,25,000 MT in 2020-21 which highlights the importance of the KVIC mission. However, the number of bee colonies is only 5,000 in Assam against four lakhs in Uttar Pradesh and more than two lakhs in Punjab holding out the mirror to policymakers and executives. Apart from imparting skills of modern beekeeping practices, training rural youth belonging to farm families in packaging, marketing branding and export trade can generate employment in the BTR region. This will in turn also reduce outmigration of rural areas in BTR for unskilled employment outside the state. Agriculture becoming less remunerative on account of rising input costs and lack of value addition, absence of job avenues for lack of industrialization acts as a push factor behind such outmigration. Beekeeping requires less investment and apart from training KVIC provides bee boxes, live bee colonies, and tool kits to beneficiaries of the Honey Mission wide publicity of such information can motivate the rural youth in BTR to explore beekeeping for self-employment and contribute to household income. Under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries' (SFURTI) implemented by the Ministry of MSME, there is the provision of supporting clusters of traditional beekeepers with new machinery and training but this information is not available to most unemployed youth of the country. Addressing such an information gap, which is wider in north-eastern states, is critical to making KVIC Honey Mission successful in BTR, a strategic region for India which is in search of employment avenues. A collaborative initiative of KIVC, BTC, and the Assam government has the potential to boost the beekeeping industry in the BTR.