HONEY FPO PROGRAMME: NAFED
WHY IN NEWS?
- Recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has virtually inaugurated the Honey Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) Programme of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED).
HIGHLIGHTS
- The programme has been launched under the Formation and Promotion of FPOs.
- It is a new Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of 10,000 new FPOs.
- Under it, the National Level Project Management Advisory and Fund Sanctioning Committee (N-PMAFSC) had allocated FPO clusters for 2020-21 to all implementing
- Initially there will be three implementing agencies to form and promote FPOs, namely Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).NAFED has been appointed as the 4th national implementing agency.
- States may also, if so desire, nominate their implementing agency in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW).
- FPOs will be developed by specialist Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) engaged by implementing agencies.
- NAFED, through CBBOs and the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) has initiated the formation and promotion of FPOs of beekeepers and honey collectors in 5 states of India.
- These 5 locations are East Champaran (Bihar), Morena (Madhya Pradesh), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Sunderbans (West Bengal).
- The first Honey FPO has been registered in the state of Madhya Pradesh under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM).
- BENEFITS
- Skill Up gradation in scientific beekeeping
- State of the art infrastructural facilities for processing honey and allied beekeeping products like bee’s wax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, etc.
- Quality up gradation by quality control laboratories.
- Better supply chain management by improving collection, storage, bottling and marketing centres.
- Promotion and Formation of FPOs is the first step for converting Krishi into Atmanirbhar Krishi.
Other Efforts by Government to Promote Beekeeping
National Bee Board
- SFAC registered the NBB as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in 2000 and it was reconstituted (with the secretary as chairman) in June 2006.
Objective:
- Overall development of beekeeping by promoting scientific beekeeping in India to increase the productivity of crops through pollination and increase the honey production for increasing the income of the beekeepers/farmers.
- Presently NBB is implementing National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan State (HMNEM).
- Government is promoting beekeeping as part of its aim to double farmers’ income and ensure tribal upliftment.
- The Government has allocated Rs. 500 crores towards beekeeping under the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan.
- Apiary on Wheels: It is a unique concept designed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes having live Bee colonies.
- The National Bee Board has created four modules to impart training as part of the NBHM. Under it, 30 lakh farmers have been trained in beekeeping and are also being financially supported by the
- The Government launched NBHM as part of ‘Sweet Revolution’. The ‘Sweet Revolution’ was launched in 2016 to promote beekeeping and associated activities.