Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 2: A two-day training programme aimed at promoting scientific beekeeping practices among farmers was conducted on August 31 and September 1 at the Seed Multiplication Farm, Bloomsdale, Chouldari.
The programme focused on the promotion of beekeeping, shifting of bee colonies, bee-box management, honey extraction and marketing. It was organised under the Union Territory Agricultural Technology Management Agency (UT-ATMA) for Prothrapur and Ferrargunj Blocks.
The training was inaugurated in the presence of Durlab Das, Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Guptapara; Dr. S.C. Rekha, Assistant Director (Agriculture), South Andaman; Balram Singh, Chairman, Block Farmer Advisory Committee (BFAC), Ferrargunj Block; Agriculture Officers and ATMA staff from Prothrapur and Ferrargunj Blocks.
During the programme, the importance and potential of beekeeping as an additional income-generating activity for farmers was highlighted. The role of honeybees in pollination and their contribution to crop productivity, quality and farm income were also discussed.
The programme was designed primarily to build the capacity of Farmer Friends in scientific beekeeping practices. The trained participants are expected to subsequently function as resource persons and share the knowledge and techniques acquired during the training with farmers in their respective villages.
The programme covered several aspects of beekeeping, including shifting of bee colonies, management of bee boxes, honey extraction and marketing. The focus was on providing participants with practical knowledge that could support the adoption and expansion of beekeeping as an agricultural activity.
Beekeeping was also discussed in the context of its wider contribution to agriculture. Honeybees play an important role in pollination, which can contribute to improved crop productivity and quality. For farmers, beekeeping can provide an additional income-generating activity alongside existing agricultural operations.
In addition to beekeeping, the participants were sensitised about farm machinery available through Custom Hiring Centres. The session covered the functioning of these centres and the procedure for hiring farm machinery for agricultural operations.
A practical demonstration of a farm-waste shredder was also conducted during the training. Participants were familiarised with the operation of the machinery and its usefulness in managing and recycling farm waste.
The inclusion of farm machinery and waste management in the programme broadened the training beyond beekeeping, providing participants with information on available agricultural support mechanisms and equipment.
The programme concluded with the distribution of certificates of participation to those who successfully completed the two-day training.
A total of 40 participants attended the programme, including Farmer Friends from Prothrapur and Ferrargunj Blocks.
The training forms part of efforts under UT-ATMA to build the capacity of farmers and field-level agricultural workers through practical training and knowledge dissemination. By training Farmer Friends as resource persons, the programme aims to create a local mechanism through which scientific beekeeping practices can be shared with farmers in different villages.
The programme also placed emphasis on the potential of beekeeping to complement agricultural incomes while supporting pollination and crop productivity.
With the completion of the two-day programme, the 40 participants received exposure to bee colony management, bee-box handling, honey extraction, marketing and related agricultural practices, along with information on farm machinery available through Custom Hiring Centres.
