Future sour for honey producers
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 02 2014 :
Regretting that inspite of healthy annual production of honey lack of customers has been compelling honey producers to rethink on their profession, a bee-keeper running a stall at the ongoing First State Level Honey Festival in Kangla Fort suggested that department concerned market the natural product through bulk purchase.
Speaking to The Sangai Express at the festival venue today, bee-keeper Amom Raju Singh of Wangoo Laipham Mayai Leikai conceded that rate of selling honey at the fair has been very dismal.
On the advice of department officials to ensure that his honey stock does not exhaust in the midst of the fair, Raju said he collected several litres of honey from his farm but not a single buyer has showed up even as the fair entered its second day today.
Raju's annual yield from about 70 bee boxes kept in his two-shangam farm and nearby locations is said to be worth around Rs 1.5 lakh.
Expressing that in case of successful sale of the annual product a bee-keeper would be economically independent, he suggested that department concerned purchase in bulk for marketing the same to help honey producers sustain their trade as well as bear family expenses.
While the honey collection season normally lasts from December till around April month with a bottle of Haying Khoi (bee species) honey commanding Rs 450 in the market and Rs 100 less at farm rate Khoiren honey fetches Rs 700 at the market rate and Rs 550 when sold at the farm, detailed the bee-keeper lamenting that participation at the fair is unlikely to be profitable taking into account absence of buyers.
Meanwhile, a training cum seminar on bee-keeping and honey production was held today as a part of the Honey Festival.The event was organised by Manipur Bee-keepers' Federation under the joint sponsorship of Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan State Manipur and Commerce and Industries Department.