Govt. of India has approved a new Central Sector Scheme entitled “National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)” for 2 years for overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping in mission mode to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution” in the country by giving thrust on capacity building & trainings, specific focus on women, input support for promotion & production, setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), other Infrastructures, Digitization /online registration, etc., processing, value addition, market support, etc. & R&D under 3 Mini Missions (MMs)-MM-1, MM-2 & MM-3.

 National Bee Board (NBB)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmer’s Welfare established the National Bee Board (NBB) in the year 2000. Though the main motto of the board is to improve pollination and crop productivity through beekeeping, it attributes the following:

Research and Development of honey processing units

To sketch schemes and establish training through research institutions

Production of quality honey

• The innovation of Phyto-Sanitary standards in terms of Bee-Product quality

Migration of honeybee colonies

• Enabling the longer and safe migration of honeybees

Creating awareness and organising training

• Research and training on the disease-prone and its medication.

• Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping and to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution” the need for holistic development of beekeeping was felt. Accordingly, a new Central Sector Scheme “National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)” for overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping and production of quality honey & other beehive products is approved by the Govt. of India. The scheme will be implemented through National Bee Board as a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Govt.).
• The NBHM will have following sub-schemes/ three Mini Missions: (a) Mini Mission-I: Under this Mission, thrust will be given on production & productivity improvement of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific beekeeping; (b) Mini Mission-II: This Mission will concentrate on post harvest management of beekeeping/ beehive products including collection, processing, storage, marketing, value addition, etc. with a thrust to develop requisite infrastructural facilities for these activities; and (c) Mini Mission-III: This Mission will concentrate on Research & Technology generation for different Regions/ States/ Agro-Climatic and Socio-Economic conditions.
•  The NBHM will work in coordination with other Governmental programmes / schemes relating to promotion of beekeeping, viz.; MIDH, RKVY, Honey Mission of KVIC, MSME, ICAR, etc,. for overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country. The NBHM will provide technical guidance/ advise and administrative support to the implementing agencies at the National & State level for effective & smooth implementation of the scheme.

2. MISSION OBJECTIVES:

The main objectives of NBHM are given as under:

a. Promoting holistic growth of beekeeping industry for income & employment generation, providing livelihood support to farm and non-farm households and to enhance agriculture/ horticulture production;

 b. Developing additional infrastructural facilities for developing quality nucleus stock of honeybees, multiplication of stock by bee breeders, setting up of disease diagnostic labs, beekeeping equipment manufacturing units, etc., post-harvest and marketing infrastructures including quality control labs, etc. individually as well as by setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs)/ Centres of Excellence (CoEs) on Beekeeping;

 c. To promote, develop and disseminate latest and State of the Art Technologies and skill development in beekeeping industry for production of honey & other high value beehive products;

 d. Empowerment of Women through Beekeeping; and

e. To maximise, economic, ecological and social benefits by diversification through beekeeping by production of higher quantity and good quality honey and other high value beehive products, viz.; bee wax, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, comb honey, bee venom, etc. for domestic and export market.

3. MISSION STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION ARRAGNGEMENTS:

 I. National Level:

 A. Setting up of Mission/ NBHM:

The Mission (NBHM) Headquarters includes Horticulture Commissioner as Mission Director with one senior officer/ scientist of ICAR, Executive Director, NBB and 1-2 more officials from other concerned Departments/ Organisations and same will work as Mission’s cell/unit.

B. Setting up of NBHM Cell/ Unit:

  A dedicated cell at national level to drive and steer programme on beekeeping at National level, NBHM Cell/ Unit will be set up to look after overall execution & implementation, monitoring, etc. of the scheme in the country under the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. This Cell/ Unit will be headed by the Mission Director.

C. Committees:

 At National level, the following Committees will work for effective & smooth implementation of NBHM:

General Council (GC)/ National Level Steering Committee (NLSC):

GC/ NLSC under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Hon’ble Union Minister/ MoS, MSME as Co-Chairman of GC/ NLSC will oversee Policy issues for effective & smooth implementation of NBHM. The Secretaries/ Heads of the following Departments/ Organisations will be Members of the GC/ NLSC:

(i) Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW)

(ii) Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DoAH&D)

(iii) Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)

 (iv) Department of Agricultural, Research & Education (DARE)

 (v) Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoC&I)

 (vi) Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)

(vii) Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC)

 (viii)M/o Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) (ix) Chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

(x) Executive Director, National Bee Board (NBB), DAC&FW.

 (xi) Mission Director, NBHM will be the Member Secretary for GC/ NLSC.

 GC/NLSC will be the Apex Committee for giving overall directions and guidance to the Mission, monitor and review its progress and performance. Without affecting the approved programmes/ cost norms and pattern of assistance as approved by SFC, GC will be empowered for all policy decisions under NBHM, including amendments in operational guidelines, inclusion of additional districts, etc. GC/NLC will meet at least once in a year.