RAMNAGAR: A two-day District Level Seminar cum Awareness /Workshop on Scientific Beekeeping, organized by the Department of Agriculture Udhampur, under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM), concluded today at Ramnagar, Udhampur District. Over 200 local farmers, beekeepers, progressive farming organizations, and rural women participated in the seminar.
The seminar was inaugurated by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajinder Singh Rana, as the Chief Guest. In his address, the SDM emphasized the role of scientific beekeeping in improving agricultural productivity and income, urging young, educated farmers, particularly those associated with Farmers Producer Organizations and Self-Help Groups, to leverage government schemes under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) for beekeeping integration with agriculture.
Chief Agriculture Officer Udhampur Sanjay Anand delivered a detailed presentation on various government initiatives for promoting beekeeping under HADP. He discussed the significant role of beekeeping in enhancing crop pollination and boosting farm productivity. He encouraged participants to utilize the Daksh Kisan Portal for practical training and capacity building.
The seminar featured expert lectures and training sessions, including topics on hive management, disease prevention, and honey extraction. Experts from SKUAST-Jammu and District Level Subject Matter Specialists (SMS), including Sukhbir Singh and Arun Samyal, delivered lectures on scientific beekeeping techniques and practical demonstrations. Pawan Talwar, Apiculture Development Officer, also contributed by guiding participants through various beekeeping practices.
The event also showcased stalls by progressive beekeepers, where SDM Rana interacted with participants and encouraged them to view beekeeping not just as an additional income source but as a full-fledged entrepreneurial venture. He stressed the importance of womenâs involvement in the beekeeping sector and urged them to explore this profitable occupation.
