World Bee Day

World Bee Day is celebrated on 20th May each year to acknowledge the crucial roles of bees and other pollinators in our daily lives. Bees and other pollinators such as birds, bats, butterflies and mammals plays a pivotal role for healthy ecosystem. Nagaland has a tradition of beekeeping that trace back to forefather’s era with ideal climate condition and rich foraging area. Our state is blessed with rich resources of honey bee species such as common honey bee (Apis cerana), Giant bees (Apis dorsata), stingless bee (Tetragonula species) Little bee (Apis florea) though only common honey bee and stingless bees are reared for hobby or for home consumption and as a subsidiary occupation for many. The key attributes of keeping bees is advantageous as it can be reared without ownership of land, low investment or without special expertise. With the abundance of rich resources, bees can be reared in kitchen garden, orchards, plantations, agricultural fields as beekeeping improves the quality of fruit set and increase crop production through pollination service of bees. Thus, ensure food security and enhance farmers income, also create opportunity for cottage industry through manufacturing bee boxes and beekeeping equipment. Incorporation of beekeeping is the best alternative for less resources farmers as forest ecosystem is exploited for economic reasons. Therefore, taking up scientific beekeeping transforms wild honey hunters through sustainable use of resources. Thus, a profitable alternative means for subsidiary income even in times of crop failure. There is much scope for producing organic honey and bi-products through involvement of women Self Help Groups and unemployed youths to take up beekeeping for strengthening honey value chain for an inclusive growth. As the bees work diligently in team to ensure their colony thrives any adversities let us learn from bees to stay focused and be “Keeper of Bees” for bio-diversity conservation and prosperity.
Published by Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)