Apiculture
Let’s begin with the word itself.
“Apiculture” is derived from the Latin word “Apis”, meaning bee. So, apiculture literally means “bee farming”—just like agriculture means crop farming.
But here’s the twist—you are not farming a plant; you are managing an entire community of flying insects, usually housed in small boxes called hives.
🧠 Think of it like managing a society of disciplined workers—each bee has a role: queen, worker, drone. And they don’t demand salaries 😉. In return, they give you:
- Honey
- Beeswax
- And pollination services (which increases your crop yield)
So, apiculture = honey + wax + increased crops + ecological balance.
It’s one of the most underrated agro-allied sectors.
👨🌾 Types of Beekeepers in India
Let’s understand this with a small example:
Imagine three friends from rural India—Ravi, Sita, and Shiva
They all do beekeeping, but in very different ways:
- 🏢 Ravi – The Commercial Bee Keeper
- His entire income comes from honey and wax.
- He has hundreds of hives, probably in Punjab or Himachal.
- Uses modern equipment and sells honey under a brand name.
- 🛠️ Sita – The Sideliner
- She’s a part-time beekeeper.
- Maybe she runs a kirana shop or farms vegetables. But alongside, she has a few hives.
- For her, it’s an additional income source.
- 🚛 Shiva – The Migratory Beekeeper
- He is smart. He moves with the flowers.
- During mustard blooming in Rajasthan—he’s there.
- During lychee season in Bihar—he moves there.
- This type is very strategic and mobile.
So, India has a mix of fixed, part-time, and migratory beekeepers.
🐝 Major Species of Bees in India
Not all bees are created equal.
India has four main species:
1. Domesticated Bees:
- Apis cerana indica – Our native bee. Suited to Indian climate.
- Apis mellifera – The European guest😊. Introduced to India for higher honey yield. Now widely used in commercial beekeeping.
2. Wild Bees:
- Apis dorsata – Also called the Rock Bee. Huge, aggressive, found on cliffs and tall trees.
- Apis florea – Dwarf bee, small in size, builds open combs on shrubs.
Most commercial honey in India today comes from Apis mellifera, because it’s like the “Murrah buffalo of bees”—more productive, less temperamental.
🧺 What is the Government Doing?
Government realized that bees are as important as seeds.
🟡 In 2005 – Beekeeping got linked with National Horticulture Mission (NHM) as a supplementary activity.
🟠 In 2020 – Launched National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
🛠️ Aims of NBHM:
- Train farmers in scientific beekeeping
- Boost honey exports
- Improve quality control and testing
- Distribute bee boxes, especially to tribal and SHG communities
Also, schemes like TRIFED and Van Dhan Yojana now give bee boxes to tribal populations—empowering them to become honey entrepreneurs.
✅ Why Beekeeping is a Game-Changer
Let’s make this very practical.
Suppose you are a farmer with just 0.5 acres. Not enough for wheat or paddy profitably.
But you can:
- Keep a few bee boxes
- Sell honey and wax
- Improve pollination of your nearby crops (sunflower, mustard, citrus, etc.)
✅ Benefits:
- Low cost setup
- No land required
- Can be done in backyards, terraces
- Promotes women and tribal participation
- Big export potential
🧴 Plus, honey has antibacterial, antioxidant properties—health conscious people globally want it.
📊 Current Scenario in India
- Over 1 lakh metric tonnes of honey produced (as of 2022-23)
- Around 60,000 tonnes exported
- Top buyers: USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia
- North India (Punjab, Himachal, UP) has higher per-hive yield (up to 6.8 kg/hive)
- Modern tech can push this to 50 kg/hive per year
- Yet, only 30% of honey comes from organized sector like Khadi Gramodyog
- The rest? By tribals, forest dwellers, or informal markets—untapped potential.
- India is the 7th largest honey producer globally. China remains the top global producer and exporter, dominating both production volume and international trade.
- Areas of Production: Uttar Pradesh (17%), West Bengal (16%), Punjab (14%), Bihar (12%) and Rajasthan (9%)
- Major Export Destinations (2023-24) : U.S.A, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Libya.
⚠️ Challenges in Apiculture
Let’s be honest—beekeeping sounds sweet, but has stings too.
🕳️ Issues:
- Shortage of quality bee boxes
- No training on diseases like American foulbrood
- Market access problems – especially for tribals
- Adulteration of honey – tarnishes India’s image abroad
- Climate change and pesticides – directly affect bee mortality
So, science + marketing + regulation must go hand-in-hand.
📝 Final Takeaway
- Apiculture = low investment + high return + ecological service
- Essential for pollination, food security, and exports
- It is being mainstreamed via NBHM and tribal schemes
- But requires training, quality assurance, and market linkages to reach full potential
In one line:
“Bee-keeping is not just about honey—it’s about harmony between nature, agriculture, and economics.”
🗞️Recent Developments in Apiculture
- May 2025: Over the last 11 years, India’s annual honey production has increased from 70,000–75,000 metric tonnes to 1.25 lakh metric tonnes, marking a 60% growth.
