Soon, Sunderban's honey to be sold at Biswa Bangla stores and e-commerce platform

Kolkata: The state government will soon start selling natural Sunderban honey in Amazon e-commerce platform, in Big Bazaar and in the state's own Biswa Bangla stores under the brand name Bonophool in a significant stride towards boosting of sales.

The community apiculture enterprise initiative of the South 24-Parganas Forest division in partnership with WWF India involving 72 people from fringe villages in the Sunderbans that started a few months back has produced 37 tonnes of honey this year during April– May when hardly any business was happening due to lockdown. The Comprehensive Area Development Corporation (CADC) an autonomous organisation under the state Panchayats and Rural Development (P &RD) department has placed bulk order of Rs 4 lakh for Bonphool.

"Sundarban's honey is also known as blood honey as over the years there have been a reasonable number of deaths due to tiger attacks during the process of honey collection. People are compelled to venture in the deep forest in search of their livelihood and have fallen prey to the big cats. We have formed four cooperatives and have developed sustainable apiary in forest camps for safe extraction of honey," said a senior official of the department.

The state co-operative banks have provided loan of Rs 30 lakh loan to set up bee boxes at forest camps -Bonnie Camp, Chulkathi, Colors and Jharkhali in a safe and secured environment with nylon fencing and other fool proof protective measures to completely mitigate any risk during the extraction of honey.

The villagers who are involved in the initiative have been trained in quality control, branding and marketing. They are getting Rs 600 a kg for honey presently instead of Rs 100 a kg.

"How nice to hold it in one's hands. Bonphool, natural honey from Sundarban Mangrove Forests Product of Sundarban Forest Cooperatives ! Will be on amazon, big bazaar in a week!" tweeted MV Rao, Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

Santosha G R, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), South 24-Parganas said 300 people have already been roped in for the next session of training programme.

"It is our aim to gradually transform the lives of the villagers who would indulge in poaching, fishing by venturing into deep forest risking their lives by making them join this initiative," he

added.

On an average six persons are killed every year while venturing into the core area of Sunderbans for the purpose of honey collection.