JK offers huge scope for development of bee keeping as a vibrant agriculture cottage industry: Atal Dulloo

SRINAGAR : Agriculture Department Kashmir today organized a series of events to commemorate “World Bee Day” across Jammu and Kashmir with a mega divisional level function held at Agriculture Complex, Lalmandi, Srinagar.

The celebration commenced with a virtual message from Additional Chief Secretary, AP&FWD, Atal Dulloo appreciating the devotion and hard work of Bee Keepers, apiarists, technical experts and other stake holders for development of this vital sector. He said that the region offers huge scope for development of bee keeping as a vibrant agriculture cottage industry and means of additional income for the financial security of farming community.

Speaking during the technical session, Director Agriculture, Kashmir, who is also the Nodal Officer National Bee Keeping Honey Mission (NBHM) for Jammu and Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, said that the program is aimed at promoting and popularizing bee keeping in the region.

Pertinently, the UN general assembly had declared May 20 as world Bee day in order to create awareness on role of Bees and other Pollinators in Keeping people and the planet healthy.

Technical sessions on production technology, research, scientific bee keeping, marketing challenges and solutions were also held during the event. Besides, various stalls were set up by the Bee keepers, Processors and other stake holders of the sector.

Apart from bee keepers, processors, other stake holders of the sector, Joint Director Agriculture Extension, M Syed Peer, Joint Director Marketing, M Qasim Ghani, Joint Director Apiculture and Mushroom, Tabasum Naaz, Joint Director Farms, Iqbal Singh, Deputy Director Planning, M Younis Chowdhary, Director Rakhs, Madan Gopal Singh, officers from Entomology section besides other senior officers participated in the event.