Decline in honey prices stings beekeepers

Archit Watts

Muktsar, February 13

The drastic fall in honey prices has put beekeepers in a tight corner. The apiculturists are getting Rs 70 per kg for mustard honey in comparison to Rs 155-160 per kg in the corresponding period last year.

Offering Rs 70 per kg

The fresh stock of mustard honey is ready, but exporters have made a cartel and are offering us Rs 70 per kg. We can't sell honey at such meagre rates. Last year, we sold our produce for Rs 155-160 per kg. — Pardeep Kumar, A beekeeper

Upset that they aren't getting even half of the price in comparison to last year, apiculturists claim that formation of a cartel of exporters, who are based in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, is behind the decline.

Some beekeepers said if they have to sell their produce at the present rates, then they will not be able to meet even the expenses incurred during the production process.

Pardeep Kumar, a beekeeper from Badal village here, says, "I have around 3,500 bee nest boxes. The fresh stock of mustard honey is ready now, but the exporters have made a cartel and are offering us Rs 70 per kg. Last year, we fetched Rs 155-160 per kg for our produce in the corresponding period. We can't sell honey at such meagre rates. Besides, there is no government support for enhancing the prices or building facilities for storing honey."

Apiculturists also have to send bee nest boxes to other states, which lead to increase in expenses due to labour cost, he adds. "One bee nest box provides us about 40-kg honey per annum. Of the total produce, a major portion is of mustard honey. The production of other varieties like eucalyptus honey, wild flora and multi-flora honey is less. However, there is hardly any demand for mustard honey in the country and we have to export it to European countries and United States of America. As a result, we are dependent on exporters, who are now exploiting us."

He claims that around 250 persons are involved in beekeeping business in Muktsar district.

Meanwhile, Jaswant Singh, president, Malwa Progressive Beekeepers' Association, says, "The Centre or the state government should introduce a scheme to protect the interests of apiculturists. Some beekeepers met senior officials of the state government during the event 'Sarkar-Kisan Milni' at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana yesterday. Presently, we have no other option but to wait for prices to improve. This may even take six months. However, in such a situation, how will some of us repay the loan amount?"

He adds, "The state government has not purchased honey in the past few years. There are just a few major exporters of honey in the country and they decide the price. In 2018, they had decreased the price to Rs 65 per kg. That time, we had to wait for months for better prices."

He adds that the apiculturists have formed a co-operative society at Badal village, which has members from across the state, but now a majority of them are planning to start some other business.

Kuljeet Singh, Assistant Director, Horticulture, says, "Some beekeepers come to the PAU yesterday and raised their concern about the low price of honey this year."

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3WbyJuZ