In a bid to promote beekeeping for quality honey production, a total of 25 farmers from Kota, Rajasthan attended the five-day training programme on “Beekeeping” at the Skill Development Centre of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Organised with the support of Directorate of Extension Education, PAU, the training programme provided a keen insight into the latest beekeeping technologies required for the upliftment of beekeeping as an enterprise as well as beekeepers via financial progress.
Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, while presiding over the concluding function, observed that beekeeping as a subsidiary occupation was holding a special place in agriculture and food processing sectors due to changing eating habits and honey’s surging demand in the market as well as among the hospitality industry.
Sharing the details of the training programme, Dr Rupinder Kaur Toor, Associate Director (Skill Development), advised the Rajasthan farmers to apply the PAU developed beekeeping technologies in their own bee farms for getting social and economic benefits.
Principal Entomologist Dr Jaspal Singh explained the management of honey bee colonies in spring and summer seasons as well as bee hives in monsoon and winter seasons; identification and management of bee diseases and insects through the use of right pesticides; ways to manage queen bees and double honey production; and government schemes to boost beekeeping.
Entomology experts Dr Jaspal Singh, Dr Amit Chaudhary, Dr Bharti Mahendru and Dr Pushpinder Kaur Brar were the resource persons, who provided hands-on demonstrations for the success of beekeeping. Later, they coordinated the visit of the Rajasthan farmers to the PAU beekeeping farm, and the Tiwana Bee Farm at Doraha.
Mrs Inderpreet Boparai, Course Co-Coordinator, traced the history of the apiculture revolution in 1976 and focused on the methods to be adopted for the right selection of the site for the commencement of beekeeping agri-business.
Dr Prerna Kapila, Course Coordinator, highlighted the scope and importance of beekeeping as a lucrative venture. Later, she proposed a vote of thanks.
Read more: https://www.pau.edu/index.php?_act=manageEvent&DO=viewEventDetail&dataE=datae&intID=9662
