Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh is building a ‘bee army’, not just to boost its economy and export income, but also to control human-animal conflict! Wondering how?
MP is promoting and crafting more homes for honeybees in areas where elephant-villager conflict often causes deaths in Mahua season. When Mahua flowers bloom, elephants enjoy the delectable, but it also causes them to lose control over themselves.
Barring their territory, wild elephants often destroy farms and run over some farmers. To control the conflict without destroying the balance, the state govt has been promoting beekeeping among farmers.
As we celebrate bees on May 20 as World Bee Day, we recognise and attribute the growth of bees in our state, while reminding our readers to protect and promote beekeeping.
To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.
Currently, India has the largest number of beehives, totalling around 12.2 million with 19.34 lakhs colonies. Approximately of 55,000-60,000 colonies are known in MP. MP extracts 4,899 tons of honey contributing about 4.33 million US$ income in a year.
Now, with the promotion of beekeeping under ‘Honey Mission’ the state forest department has launched training exempted costs up to Rs 1,000 per person including commute on beekeeping across the state.
There are many bee-keepers welcoming bees to their farms and families now in Indore as well. A duo of US-returned NRI and an engineer is conducting free training on beekeeping and organic farming in India.
Engineer Govind Maheshwari and Nikky Surekha have been educating farmers from across the state on basics of beekeeping and science of organic farming.
How will honeybees help farmers?
Over 1,500 people have lost their lives due to elephant attacks in India in the last three years, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, report said.
Twenty-seven elephants have fallen prey to poachers and eight died due to poisoning in the last three years.
In 2019-20, 585 deaths due to elephant attacks happened, whereas in between 2020-21, almost 461 such casualties were reported and in the last year, the cases gained a marginal hike with almost 535 being reported by several state governments, according to the data provided by the ministry.
Tuskers can be chased away using high-intensity lights, firecrackers, burning cow dung cakes laced with chilli powder, the buzzing sound of bees and beating drums.
Hence the Honey Mission…
Beekeeping in MP
Beekeeping is undertaken with two species of indigenous bees, Apis cerana indica and Trigona. Trigona beekeeping has taken off in a big way in Mandla district with several innovations in propagating Trigona bee colonies.
