CBRTI to train 100 women from Maharashtra in beekeeping

PUNE: The Central Bee Research and Training Institute (CBRTI) will train 100 women from Narayangaon in Maharashtra to help them become financially independent.
The training is a part of an ‘MadhuShakti’, an initiative by social startup BeePositive, PHD Rural Development Foundation and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Narayangaon.
The initiative will be launched on Wednesday at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration auditorium.
Lakshmi Rao, assistant director of CBRTI, told TOI, “Training sessions will be held between August 19 and 30. We will provide kits and after a month, the participants will start their year-long beekeeping training.”
She said, “CBRTI will train the women to harvest high-value beehive products like bee pollen and royal jelly, which will fetch them more income. We will also try to market their products through the CBRTI honey parlour.”
After the training, the women will be provided with beekeeping equipment and five commercial beehives, to be set up in the areas around Manchar and Narayangaon.
A BeePositive representative said, “In April and May, the project team invited women groups from several villages for a day-long workshop. Following this, 100 women showed interest in the programme.”
Head of KVK, Narayangaon, Prashant Shete said, “The objective is to make these women certified beekeepers so that they have extra income every month. We will support these women for a year.”
The founder of BeePositive, Kanupriya, said, the aim was to create a country-wide network of beekeeping cooperatives, where women will work together to scientifically harvest quality beehive products and sell them.