KVIC’s Honey Mission: Bee boxes distributed to migrant workers

Minister of State for MSME, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi handed over 700 bee boxes to 70 migrant workers of two districts of the state of Uttar Pradesh which provided them the livelihood opportunity through the “Honey Mission” program.

What is KVIC’s Honey Mission?

The Honey Mission was launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission in 2017 with the aim of employment generation for the farmers, Adivasis, women, and unemployed youth by associating them with beekeeping activities and increasing the overall honey production in India.

KVIC selected the workers who returned their home from different corners of India due to pandemic outbreak and job loss. They were provided 5-days training on beekeeping at KVIC’s training center and handed over necessary tool kits with bee boxes to conduct beekeeping activities in the western UP region, where the nature is ideal for beekeeping and honey production.

What are the functions of KVIC?

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body of the Government of India. It was formed in 1957 under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’. It is headquartered in Mumbai.

• It works as an umbrella organization under MSME to plan, promote, facilitate, organize and assist in the process of establishment as well as the development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas of India.
• It also performs cooperative action with other agencies that are engaged with rural development.

How can the mission help the migrant workers and India’s honey production?

• The inclusion of the migrant workers with beekeeping activities will promote local industries and thus India will move forward towards its ambition of achieving self-reliance (Atma Nirbhar Bharat).
• Beekeeping will increase the wages of the beekeepers as well as the overall honey production in India.

Other products like bee wax, pollen, royal jelly, and bee venom will also create market opportunities for rural populations.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2020