RAJSHAHI, Dec 23, 2018 (BSS)-Many people have become financially solvent
through honey harvesting activities in the region including its vast Barind
tract.
Honey hunting is being expanded gradually to many new areas contributing a
lot towards employment generation side by side with boosting honey
production.
As a whole, honey farming has gained popularity in the region as many
people attained success through commercial honey harvesting. Like previous
years, Ataur Rahman, a farmer of Namajgram village under Godagari Upazila,
remained involved in honey harvesting in mustard field since 2000.
At the initial stage, he gained profit through setting up 10 boxes that
encourages him to enhance the number of boxes in the following years. In this
season, he has set up 265 boxes in different areas.
“I have harvested 16 kilograms of honey from every box in last 10 days,”
Ataur Rahman said. He earns more than Taka seven lakh every winter season
through his commercial honey harvesting.
“Honey harvesting makes me income-generator and self-confident,” said
Ashraful Islam Sumon, another farmer of Hasnabad village under Godagari
Upazila, adding that he has collected 14 kilograms of honey from every box in
last 12 days.
“I got 38 mounds of honey from my 67 bee-colonies in Borobilla area under
Paba upazila. I sold 10 mounds to locals. Now I am waiting to sell the rest
to a company at a good price,” said Habibur Rahman Babu, a farmer in Darusha
village under the same upazila.
Mustafizur Rahman, additional director of Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE), said more than 225 tonnes of honey were produced in the
region during the current season.
He said this amount is five times higher than that of the last year.
Farmers of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj and other adjacent
districts have been engaged in honey extraction since mid-November.
Farmers set up 7,876 bee-colonies near mustard fields at different villages
and got around 75 kg of honey from each colony in two weeks.
The farmers said they were able to sell one-third of the honey to local
people and wholesalers at around Tk 150 per kilogram, and are waiting for
companies to buy the rest.
“We will be able to make a good profit if the companies buy our honey for
Taka 150 to Taka 200 per kg,” the growers said.
A number of growers said the same adding that they have to spend about 50
percent of the earning to meet the cost during extraction and for feeding the
bees during the off-season.
Prof Dr Bidhan Chandra Das from Department of Zoology at Rajshahi
University told BSS here that honey farmers need technological support,
financial assistance and a sound of marketing system.
“It’s possible to make the honey farming a million-dollar business for the
country, creating huge jobs,” he said. “If the government takes proper steps,
honey production will get a boost in the country, ushering in a new
opportunity for export,” said Dr Das.