Beekeeping makes farmers self-reliant

By Our Correspondent,Jajarkot May 20: Farmers here have started to become self-reliant from beekeeping. After the farmers of Nalgad Municipality-1 Pali, Kalpat and Chiuri started beekeeping, their livelihood has improved. 

Farmers of Nalgad Municipality-1 have been attracted towards beekeeping after they earn good income from honey.

After the local level conducted a soil test and found the possibility of honey production at Pali Kalpat and Chiuri of Nalgad Municipality-1, the bee pocket area was declared and the agricultural development office, the agricultural development branch under the local level has been providing training and support to the farmers who are engaged in beekeeping.

According to Bir Bahadur Pun of Nalgad Municipality-1, Korkagaun, he started the beekeeping after seeing good income from bees.

Pun, who started beekeeping from 15 hives, reached 80 hives, he said. But now, he has 30 hives after he sold 30 hives and 15 hives damaged by earthquake that occurred on November 3, 2023.

He said that he produced 250 kg of honey from the hives and earned Rs, 200,000. Pun has also been raising goats. He said that he earned Rs. 200,000 from the sale of goats yearly.

According to him, he has 50 goats. A family of five has been easily managed from the income of selling goats, he said. Even though the house was damaged by the devastating earthquake, seven hives are still in the damaged house. 

"I kept 24 modern beehives in the same house as there was no alternative arrangement for keeping bees. As the old house is completely risky, the rest of the beehives have been moved to the field," he said.

"I am satisfied with my occupation as income from beekeeping and goat rearing is supporting to manage expenditure of my family," he said.

According to Sudip Giri, technician of Agricultural Development Branch, Nalgad Municipality, 120 modern beehives, bee-related products have been distributed in Nalgad Municipality, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 11 and 20 bee hives have been distributed to other remaining wards to attract people towards beekeeping.

About 19,000 kg of honey has been produced in the current fiscal year in the Nalgad bee pocket area. It has been found that the annual income from the sale of honey is Rs. 15.2 million.