Qutubgarh turns 'Honey-garh'

Famous for high agricultural yields, Qutubgarh is turning into a 'Honey Bowl' in the outskirts of the Capital. Under its 'Honey Mission', Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) distributed 100 bee-boxes among 10 farmers of this sleepy hamlet in presence of BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and KVIC chairman VK Saxena on November 3 2018.

Following which, within 45 days of distribution, on December 19, the villagers extracted 585 kilograms of honey from those boxes as the first yield, valuing around Rs 97,000. This was not the end, on January 14, the villagers jubilantly extracted another 1,000 kilograms of honey, which has a value of Rs 2 lakh in the market.

Umed Singh, 83 years old owner of the farm land – where the bee-boxes had been installed – categorically explains the double bonanza of KVIC's 'Honey Mission' programme and its rising popularity among the farmers of neighbouring villages.

"This year, the mustard in our fields has 40 percent more flowers, due to the cross-pollination of the honey-bees. It will be a multiple bonanza for Qutubgarh as besides producing honey valuing approximately Rs 3 lakh, we will also have a bumper mustard crop," he said, adding, "As the 'Honey Mission' programme of KVIC has given a new hope to the villagers – especially to the young generation, even the youths of adjoining villages often come to Qutubgarh, to see the impact of bee-keeping here."

Echoing similar views, Dinesh Singh, one of those 10 farmers – who were given the bee-boxes from the KVIC – vowed to make Qutubgarh 'Honey-garh' or Madhu- garh with record production of honey.

KVIC has also adopted a unique and highly-advanced method of honey-extraction in Qutubgarh. "The traditional honey extracting process in India is from Brood Chamber, in which the Queen Bee is confined in the brood. As it was found incorrect and unhealthy method, in which honey gets contaminated, we adopted tertiary-super box chamber method – even better than tetra-super box techniques of European countries. As a result, the KVIC has started getting the highest quality of honey, without being contaminated," said KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena.

More than 50 local farmers offered to take training on bee keeping and 10 farmers who got bee boxes requested chairman KVIC to provide advance training to them.  KVIC has decided to organise a camp soon to select young people to setup honey processing plant there under PMEGP.