National 10 (Spotlight Weekly)

Sweet Success

Modern techniques, government incentives and a growing market spur honey production

By AKSHAY SHARMA

Bee-keeping has become the latest buzzword among Nepalese farmers. Although it has long been a part of traditional farming in the hills and terai, bee-keeping is becoming more professionalized these days. And it is bringing more money to farmers.

"Farmer could not gain much from traditional techniques of bee-keeping," says Gopi Sherchan, an agriculture development officer in the far-western district of Jajarkot. Modern techniques, government incentives and a growing market have helped to change farmers' attitudes toward bee-keeping.

"Rapti zone can be taken as a prime example of the popularity of bee-keeping," says Mukunda Acharya, owner of Rapti Mauri Farm. "Bee-keeping has become the main source of income for most of the families that are involved in the sector."

Acharya, who started his farm with an investment of Rs. 90,000, currently sells between 50 and 200 hives a year. He has three hives of Meliphera species and 40 hives of Serena species of bees. "I produced 48 quintals of honey last year and exported it to many cities of India," he says.

His farm has been training other farmers in the region on modern processes of bee-keeping. "Since I started this farm, it's been easy to run my family. At least, I don't have to go anywhere to borrow money." That's a message Acharya says he wants to spread to every farmer in the country.

"There are many honey producers in Rapti zone, but Mukunda Acharya is only one who has adopted the profession seriously," says Padma Prasad Rajbhandari, an official at Dang's Horticulture Centre. But people like Bhimarjun Regmi of Tulsipur, in Dang district, says farmers of all kinds are gradually acknowledging the commercial viability of bee-keeping.

That is a sentiment shared by Keshab Poudel of Bagewa village in the southern district of Bara. "I think the returns I will get from these hives will be good," he say, pointing to the while enamel-painted wooden boxes that have been attracting a swarm of bees.

Nepalese farmers are being drawn to diverse apiculture professions in the hope of maximizing their gains through low and efficient investment. Over the last five years, farmers in the terai and hills have turned to bee-keeping in large numbers. Another major reason for this attraction is the growing market for honey inside the country and in India.

Some farmers say life has become easier for them. "It was a hard life farming wheat and millet on hilly terrain," says Kapil Subedi of Ramechap district. "Farmers are making good income since bee-keeping was introduced in our district." Vishnu Kumar Shrestha, chief of Ramechap's Agriculture Development Office says 460 hives produced 1,090 kg of honey in the district last year.

Sunakoti, Thime and Pipe Khagelkot of Jajarkot district have been designated as pocket areas for bee-keeping. "Farmers in the pocket areas get a 25 percent discount is given in the purchase of hives," says Sherchan. "They receive a 50 percent discount to buy honey containers."

According to the Agriculture Development Office at Ramechhap, 80 modern hives have been distributed in the district. While traditional hives can collect 6 kg of honey, modern ones can yield up to 10 kg, experts say.

Farmers say they have another important incentive as well. "The honey we produce here can be sold easily and we don't have to go search for the market." says Lok Bahadur Pun, a farmer in Jajarkot. He says earned Rs 10,000 last year from his 12 hives. Low investment, high yield, ready markets. How sweeter could a business formula be?