Punjab leads in beekeeping

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 19

Punjab is the leading state in beekeeping in the country, with about 35,000 beekeepers producing about 15,000 metric tonnes of honey. This accounts for more than 39 per cent of the country’s apiary honey production.

Dr RK Gumber, Director of Research, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), said the university was the pioneer in successful introduction, multiplication and establishment of high honey yielding Italian bee in Punjab and had been instrumental in its spread throughout the country. This bee species has brought commercialisation and industrialisation in beekeeping in the country.

The Apiculture Centre of the PAU has been adjudged by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as Overall Best Centre of the All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Honey Bees and Pollinators among the 27 centres under the AICRP. The award was conferred upon by ICAR at the plenary session of the ICAR’s Biennial Workshop of the AICRP on Honey Bees and Pollinators, held at Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, on October 16.

Dr RS Gill, HoD, Entomology, PAU, said the apiculture team of the department, including Dr Jaspal Singh, Dr Harminder Kaur and Dr Amit Choudhary, led by Prof Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja, attended the three-day workshop at Solan from October 14 to 16. The team presented three years’ progress of the Apiculture Centre. PAU VC Dr BS Dhillon congratulated Dr Gill and his team for bringing laurels to the university.