07 Jan Sweet Revolution
Sweet Revolution & Honey Mission
This article covers “Daily current affairs for UPSC” and the topic is about the ‘Sweet Revolution or honey mission’ which is in news, it covers “Agriculture marketing” In GS-3, and the following content has relevance for UPSC.
For prelims: Facts National Beekeeping mission, Sweet revolution
For mains: Doubling farmers’ income, Honey mission
Why in News:
- The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), after offering beekeeping instruction to 17 thousand 500 beneficiaries throughout the nation as part of the Honey Mission, has so far distributed 1 lakh and 75,000 bee boxes.
- The top ten states for honey production in 2021–2022, according to the National Horticulture Board (NHB), were Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
About Honey Mission:
- Under the Ministry of MSME, the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched the Honey Mission programme in 2017–18.
- It is currently being implemented to promote beekeeping activities and offers self-sustaining employment opportunities among farmers, Adivasis, and unemployed youth in rural India, particularly in economically depressed and remote areas.
- Beneficiaries of the initiative receive tool kits, training, live bee colonies, bee boxes, and beekeeping equipment.
- Additionally, the Ministry of MSME’s “A Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries” (SFURTI) programme gives traditional beekeepers a stable source of income by grouping them into clusters and providing them with modern equipment and training. The programme has authorised 29 honey clusters.
About Sweet Revolution
- The Government of India has launched a significant drive to promote apiculture, also referred to as “beekeeping.”
- The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, a central sector programme run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, was introduced by the government in 2020 as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat programme to give Sweet Revolution a boost.
Sweet Revolution
Aim
- It seeks to quicken the production of high-quality honey and associated goods.
- Since honey is regarded as a naturally healthful commodity, demand for high-quality honey has increased throughout time.
- Royal jelly, beeswax, pollens, and other apiculture products are also widely employed in a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, food, beverage, beauty products, and others.
Indian production
- India’s production and export of honey began in 1996–1997, when it began its first formal exports.
- India currently exports more than 80% of its natural honey to the United States, which is the country that receives the majority of this trade.
- During 2020–21, India exported 59,999 metric tonnes (MT) of natural honey for a total value of Rs. 716 crores (US $ 96.77 million), with the United States accounting for the lion’s share at 44,881 MT. Canada, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were the other leading foreign markets for Indian honey.
- The main regions for the nation’s production of natural honey are the North East Region and Maharashtra. In India, around half of the honey produced is consumed locally, and the other half is shipped outside.
- Exporting honey has enormous potential, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic given the rise in its consumption as a more healthy alternative to sugar and an efficient immune booster on a worldwide scale.
Concerns
Significance of Sweet Revolution
- By utilising technology, this mission will assure bee conservation, stop diseases or the loss of bee colonies, and deliver high-quality and plentiful apiculture goods.
- High-quality honey and other goods will be produced through farming practices for both the domestic and international markets.
- A low-investment, the highly-skilled business model is beekeeping, where technology use has become a key facilitator of socioeconomic development.
- Beekeeping expansion will quadruple farmers’ revenue, create jobs, guarantee food security and bee conservation, and boost crop productivity.
Way ahead:
- Renegotiating the tax system imposed by different nations to increase honey exports
- Accessing government funding through various programmes, quality certification, and lab testing while assisting producers in accessing export markets
- Along with this, more should be done to address issues including increased freight prices, a shortage of containers during the busiest honey export season, increased expenses for nuclear magnetic resonance tests, and insufficient export incentives.
- Looking into newer honey export markets, such as the European Union, the United Kingdom, and South East Asia.
Source:
Daily Current Affairs for UPSC
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Plutus IAS Current Affairs 7th Jan 2023
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