H&SC AD calls for branding honey products
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 30 2024:
Horticulture and Soil Conservation additional director K Debadutta has called for branding honey produced in the state based on their source such as mustard, plum and wild.
The additional director made the proposal while attending the inaugural session of a weeklong basic training programme on beekeeping, which is being organised by Manipur Beekeeping and Honey Mission, department of horticulture and soil conservation under the sponsorship of National Bee Board held at the conference hall of the department near Sanjenthong, here, on Tuesday.
Department director Honey Chara, Manipur Beekeeping and Honey Mission, MIDH mission director Md Zakir Hussain and K Debadutta attended the programme as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
In his address, Debadutta informed that farmers in other parts of the country produce honey by branding them in systematic ways.
However, honey production in the state lacks systematic approach and hygiene in processing.
As a result, honey from the state is not popular in markets outside the state.
Keeping this in view, farmers need to brand their honey products based on the source, process them in hygienic way and sell them with proper bottling in assorted size along with printing nutritional contents so as to promote the products in the broader market.
In international markets like Dubai, USA and Japan, food products undergo rigorous screening and farmers of the state need to adapt to the international norms, he said.
Md Zakir Hussain said that beekeeping could be a good source of income without much efforts as it does not require feeding except for some routine management.
Farmers need not worry of bee sting as they can become quite friendly over time that one may need not wear protective gears, he said.
He also assured all possible assistance from the department in marketing, their products.