On World Bee Day which is approaching on May 20, the buzz is on Goa’s growing community of beekeepers who are experiencing a luscious season of honey production, writes Shoma Patnaik
May celebrated as the month of World Bee Day, is turning out to be good for beekeepers in the state. At Parra, on the Anjuna hill slope, beekeeper Medha Monteiro, who is also the secretary of Bardez Beekeepers Society, produced 13 kg of varied flavour honey, from a single hive.
In Acoi, Mapusa, beekeeper Ken Miranda, collected 12 kg of honey from his hive. Far away in Dharbandora, Narendra Talwalkar, a successful honey producer and farm owner, saw his hives yielding 8 kg of honey.
The Goa Forest Development Corporation that recently started beekeeping also hit a sweet patch in its honey yield. GFDC, managing director Nandkumar Parab, says that, the corporation’s beekeeping initiative started as a pilot project in 2024, in two locations of Sattari and Sanguem, yielded 80 kg, so far his season. “Our honey production for the full season is targeted at 160 kg., from 140 kg in 2024,” discloses Parab.
The GFDC sold its honey at Rs 1,000 per kg., under its Sylvan brand. The sales were to locals as well as tourists who visited the corporation’s medicinal plant garden at Selaulim.
Parab says that GFDC’s cashew plantation yield has improved every since it started keeping beehives. “Bees are cross pollinators of crops. They are natural regenerators of fruit trees and agriculture crops. Our fruit trees have benefitted from bee hives kept nearby,” explains Parab.
Apiarist P Shaliyo, says that most beekeepers in the state have done well with honey production this year. Their production of honey ranges from 5 kg to 15 kg from each box. He points out that, Goa forested talukas of Dhanbandora, Sanguem, Canacona, Sattari , Valpoi as well as Bardez which is a part of the western ghats are ideal for apiculture and honey production. “Goa can easily achieve one lakh ton of honey annually if apiculture is pursued actively,”
says Shaliyo.
Honey production in the state occurs in seasons. September to December is the season for minor honey flow, while December to June 10, is considered as the major honey flow season. Bees continue to be busy in the non-flow monsoon season too, but they need protection from the rains and also supplementary feeding.
“Beekeeping is a science. Bees are a highly regimented society. During the rainy season the hive needs maintenance to safeguard against the whole swarm flying out of the bee box,” says Parab. He says that, beekeeping is an engrossing activity that has the advantage of earning significant secondary income to
the beekeeper.
Goa’s beekeeping is scattered activity due to which there is no record on the volume of honey production. The stakeholders comprise individual beekeepers, the Bardez Beekeepers Society- the only registered society of beekeepers, the GFDC, the Goa Khadi and Village Industries Board, which implements the state scheme for beekeeping and few honey producing units.
The Members of the Bardez society are keen to conduct workshops for fellow beekeepers on the best technology and the scientific methods for increasing honey production. Apiarists in the state point out that, Goa has rich flora and bee colonies grow abundantly in the wild. Therefore beekeeping as an economic activity can take off if pursued properly. They said that, the state government scheme for beekeeping has yielded modest results until now.
With honey demand high and growing, the ministry of agriculture is running the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission for promoting scientific beekeeping to increase the agricultural production. Goa is not mentioned by the ministry among states that are a part of the national programme.
Shaliyo says to encourage honey production in the state the government must organize beekeeping festivals. The festivals need to be in association with the local community of beekeepers, kulaghar farmers, the KVIC, the ICAR, the GFDC and the agriculture department, he says.
