The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Cluster development for apiary

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Sunday, Mar 30, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Cluster development for apiary

M. Raghuram

Kodagu district has been chosen for the
pilot project
2,000 apiculturists will be brought into the cluster development scheme

BANGALORE: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is all set to introduce cluster approach for developing apiary in the State. As a pilot project, the ‘land of honey’ Kodagu district has been chosen where about 2,000 apiculturists (bee keepers) will be brought into the cluster development scheme.

Speaking to The Hindu, K.K. Gupta, Zonal Head South of the KVIC said that Kodagu district has been divided into three blocks for cluster development — one each at Virajpet, Bhagamandala and Somwarpet. Several other districts will also be identified for full-fledged programmes. Similar programmes will be launched on a pilot basis at Kozhikode in Kerala, which will include 500 apiculturists in the first phase.

Plan

Mr. Gupta said the cluster development plan includes erection of processing plants for honey and other by products like wax, royal jelly and queen bee rearing. The apiculturists will be trained by scientific experts in rearing queen bees and transfer of technology to increase the productivity per box.

The apiculturists will also be given credit and market linkage with adequate technology backing for packaging and export orientation. He said the Central Bee Research Institute at Pune will conduct the “diagnostic study” of the clusters.

The Bangalore University Department of Zoology Centre of Apiculture Studies has broken ground in disease control among the bees and in developing “sound technology” for improving the production of honey. Speaking to The Hindu, scientist M.S. Reddy said that since the event of the Thai Sac Brood Disease that had hit apiculture in South India, wiping out 90 percent of the bee population in 1990-95, the centre has been working on disease prevention and disease management techniques in South India.

The centre has made good progress in making the indigenous variety of bee ‘Apis terana indica’ almost disease proof and another variety ‘Apis mellifora’ highly ‘disease tolerant’.

“The centre has produced a Ph D thesis made on the Apis mellifora in the sunflower belt of Karnataka. The study has shown that by shifting the Apis mellifora boxes, the production of honey could go up from 10 to 15 per cent a box,” Mr. Reddy added.

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