Sweet success: Nagaland to observe honeybee day on Dec. 5

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov. 16: Nagaland was the first state in the country to have an independent apiculture undertaking when it launched the Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) in Oct., 2007 under the initiative of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the then Chef Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir, who was the brain behind the mission.

The idea was to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities through beekeeping in the state, and since then some states from the region have followed suit by establishing similar independent missions.

The NBHM is now more than a decade old and ready to observe the first Nagaland Honey Bee Day on Dec. 5 this year in Dimapur. According to the deputy secretary of NBHM and team leader T Imtiwapang Aier and NBHM team member Chubanungla Shilu, this will be the first of its kind in the country.

According to the NBHM officials, the mission was conceived by the then state government after noticing the potential of traditional beekeeping coupled with the state’s favourable climatic conditions and biodiversity.

Now Nagaland leads in honeybee products among the Northeast states while the NBHM’s activities have been ‘acknowledged nationally,’ according to the officials. The first team leader of the mission was the present advisor to Horticulture Mhathung Yanthan.

The NBHM, it was informed, has been trying to designate the Nagaland Honey Bee Day since 2016 ‘so that the state becomes the hub of honeybee in the nation and also create scope to promote beekeeping beyond the state and Northeast.’

The Nagaland government in 2017 gave the green signal to observe the first Nagaland Honey Bee Day the same year but the state assembly elections in early 2018 forced the NBHM to reschedule, the officials informed.

Prospect of beekeeping

The officials acknowledged that the mission was yet to develop marketable products and penetrate into the market. However, it has been instrumental in encouraging farmers to foray into entrepreneurship through trainings imparted to them, the officials said.

The use of scientific method, Shilu said, has an edge over traditional method as it leaves room to multiply more bee colonies effectively, more cycle in harvesting, and is sustainable.

In terms of production, districts like Phek, Kohima, Zunheboto, Tuensang, Mokokchung and Wokha were more viable because of the forest coverage while in Mon and Longleng districts production were less, more so because of few existing beekeepers, she informed.

The Honey Bee Day

With the objective of equipping beekeepers with knowledge and awareness, the mission has planned the first Nagaland Honey Bee Day on Dec. 5 in Dimapur with a series of events to mark the occasion with participation from 66 beekeepers.

There will be a seminar on ‘beekeeping and honey prospects in Nagaland: potentials, challenges, solutions and way forward’ on Dec. 5; exhibition stalls from all 11 districts; and stalls for ‘tribal healers’ and apitherapy, to name a few.

Also, district-level awards for beekeepers and VBKCs, and state-level awards for best keeper and best VBKC will be awarded on the day, the officials informed.

Manpower and functions

The mission, spread out across all 11 districts but with one office at Multi Utility Centre, 6th mile in Dimapur, has trained more than 14,000 beekeepers and so far has constituted more than 350 Village Bee Keeping Committee (VBKC) who are the mission partners.

NBHM was recognised as State Designated Agency (SDA) for beekeeping and development programme in 2011 and State Level Steering Committee (SLSC) was constituted in 2009 to formulate policies, plans, guidelines, consider and approve annual budget.

The mission is headed by chairman Ntsemo Ngullie. With ten team members who are said to have been ‘pulled out’ from allied departments to give multi-disciplinary approach, the mission team leader says the manpower is not enough to oversee 11 districts.