Increased demand for honeybee farming in Kodagu

Mysuru: Honeybee farming or apiculture is slowly regaining its popularity in Kodagu district owing to Covid-19 pandemic that has rendered many youths homeless and compelled them to return to their native places and take up the traditional occupation.
There has been an increase in the demand for bee boxes from the horticulture department and the Khadi and Village Industries Commission since the past few months.
Bhagamandala and regions around Brahmagiri, Talacauvery and Pushpagiri forest areas are known for honey production. However, sacbrood virus threatened honey production in the 90s.
Presently, there are around 12,050 people who are involved in bee farming and are using 65,000 bee boxes. Youths who had settled in Bengaluru and other places have returned to Kodagu due to coronavirus threat and many of them have shown interest in bee farming. “There have been regular calls to the horticulture department for bee boxes. We have supplied 120 boxes in Madikeri, 100 in Somavarpet and 50 in Virajpet,” said horticulture department authorities.
Usually the demand for boxes starts after the monsoon. Every year around 1,000 boxes are distributed by the horticulture department. However, this year, there has been demand for bee boxes much before the monsoon ends.
“Youths are visiting the office to seek advice on whether bee farming is a profitable business with less investment,” said horticulture department officer B.D Vasanth.
K S Purushothamma, apiculture trainer, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, told TOI that every year training will be given to around 100 people in bee farming. Karnataka’s only bee farming training centre is in Bhagamandala. The government provides bee boxes in subsidized rates. Bee keeping process starts in November-December and the harvesting will be done by April.
-