Sangrur, October 3:- Under the guidance of the Director of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and ICAR-ATARI, Zone-I, Ludhiana, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sangrur successfully organised a five-day vocational training course on “Beekeeping – A Profitable Allied Occupation” at its campus. A total of 31 farmers and farm women from different blocks of the district participated enthusiastically in the training.
During the inaugural session, Dr. Mandeep Singh, In-charge, PAU-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sangrur, warmly welcomed the trainees. He said that beekeeping is a low-cost and high-profit allied occupation that can be adopted by small and marginal farmers, landless labourers and farm women. He said that besides honey, honeybees increase crop production through pollination and also provide additional income through by-products. He also briefed the participants about other vocational training programmes and extension activities being conducted by the centre.
Dr. Gurbeer Kaur, Assistant Professor (Plant Pathology) and Course Coordinator, elaborated on the economics of beekeeping. She informed the trainees about different species of honeybees, particularly the Italian honeybee (Apis mellifera), its body structure, colony organisation and seasonal management. She also demonstrated the use of essential beekeeping equipment such as bee boxes, smokers, uncapping knives, honey extractors, queen excluders and protective clothing.
She discussed in detail the nutritional and medicinal uses of honey, management of bees, feeding, division of colonies, queen rearing and uniting colonies during autumn, winter, summer and spring seasons. She also explained the importance of by-products such as propolis, wax, royal jelly, bee venom and pollen, and provided information on the prevention and management of diseases such as European and American foulbrood and Thai sacbrood, as well as pests such as wax moth and Varroa mite.
Practical training on box management, brood inspection and honey extraction was also provided at the beekeeping unit established at KVK, Kheri.
Dr. Hardeep Singh, Deputy Director Horticulture, Sangrur, shared information about subsidies and financial assistance schemes provided by the National Bee Board and National Horticulture Mission for establishing new units, honey processing and marketing.
Dr. Amanpreet Kaur, HDO, Dhuri, briefed the trainees about schemes of the State Horticulture Department for promoting beekeeping and formation of FPOs/self-help groups.
The trainees were also taken on a visit to the farm of a progressive beekeeper. At the conclusion, the participants were motivated to start their own enterprises and literature related to beekeeping was distributed.
