Apiculture a boon for many Rajshahi farmers

Many people have become financially solvent by apiculture (beekeeping) in Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract.

Farmers of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj and other adjacent districts have been engaged in honey extraction since mid-November.

Around 2.83 lakh tonnes of mustard yield are expected to be harvested from around two lakh hectares of lands in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during the current Rabi season.

Department of Agricultural Extensionc(DAE) has set a target of producing 1.10 lakh tonnes of mustard fromc77,960 hectares of land in four districts of Rajshahi Agricultural zone,cwhile another 1.73 lakh tonnes from 1.21 lakh hectares of land in four other districts of Bogura Agricultural Zone.

Demand for this local products and services continues to increase each year, creating ample opportunity for growth in this unique sector through expansion of existing and development of new apiaries in the region.

When this correspondent visited several areas of the region, he found a lot of farmers are passing busy times with honey harvesting commercially since the advent of the blossom of mustard plants.

The farmers said they were able to sell one-third of the honey to local people and wholesalers at around Tk 160 per kg, and are waiting for companies to buy the rest.

Dulal Hossain, a farmer of Purba Bamnal village under Godagari upazila, said he collects 25 kilograms of honey from each of the boxes per month on an average. He earned more than Tk 6 lakh every winter season by selling the honey collected from the mustard fields, he said.

Hossain also said he had received mustard seed, fertiliser, honeybee, training and digital honey-collecting box, tools and wares as support from the government.

This government assistance inspired him to collect honey to a greater extent, he added.

Like him, many other farmers are engaged in harvesting honey after getting support from the government and leveraging the existing natural resources. Godagari upazila Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker said a group of farmers was given the support in each union of the region to promote the honey collection.

Shasthi Paharia, 48, a farmer of Kashini Gangarampur village under Charghat upazila, has been harvesting honey for long 12 years through rearing native bee species serena in 12 boxes.

Shasthi said both demand and market price of honey of native bee species are comparatively high.

He is hopeful of selling 120 kilograms of honey valued around Tk 45,000 with net profit of Tk 30,000 this year.

Like previous years, Ataur Rahman, another farmer of Namajgram village under Godagari upazila, remains involved in honey harvesting in mustard fields since 2000.

As honey harvesting is lucrative in terms of economic value, the number ofchoney harvesters from mustard fields is increasing gradually, locals said.

Rajshahi DAE Deputy Director Abdul Awal said honey farming is being expanded to many new areas every year contributing a lot towards employment generation side by side with boosting honey production.