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Not-so-sweet news for beekeepers
THE BUZZ of the bees has grown quieter in Dakshina Kannada. Known for its yummy honey with a distinct taste, the region is facing a honey shortage. So much so that beekeepers' societies are buying nearly 20,000 kg of honey annually from West Bengal and Bihar to cater to customer demands.
Known for its medicinal properties and in demand in religious ceremonies, the sweet, amber coloured liquid is used to be plentiful in the district till three decades ago. For many tribal families living on the foothills of the Western Ghats, honey collection was a profession. Slowly, with the development of the region, honey collectors turned into organised beekeepers. As in many cottage industries, co-operative societies became the norm, one of the best known being the one at Puttur. But the Thai sack brood, a viral disease that struck bee colonies along the coastal belt and the Western Ghats destroyed many beehives.
A decade ago undivided Dakshina Kannada was producing nearly two lakh kilos of honey annually. It plunged to 36,100 kilos in 2003-2004.
However, all is not lost. Honey production in both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts has shown an increase of was some 5,000 kg last year.
So the good news now is that after a decade of struggle, the honey industry has slowly started recovering and looking up.
Sadly, in times of crisis, the Government has not been of much help. In fact, it withdrew most of the existing support and educational help to beekeepers, even withdrawing the Rs. 300 subsidy given to each honey box — that costs Rs. 640 — last year.
The Government also abolished the posts of field demonstrators and instructors, who were involved in popularising beekeeping. So the Puttur society has been organising a Honey Festival in Mangalore every year to popularise beekeeping.
RAVIPRASAD KAMILA
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