T R. Zeliang, Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister of Planning & Transformation and National Highway, on Tuesday acknowledged the role of Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) in guiding many in the State to transform traditional beekeeping into a sustainable source of income, contributing to economic sustainability.
Zeliang was speaking as the Special Guest at the Bamboo Hall in Naga Heritage Village, Kisama on the occasion of the 5th Nagaland Honey Bee Day, celebrated under the theme ‘Bee & Honey Trails.’
According to DIPR, Zeliang highlighted Nagaland’s unique tradition of beekeeping, acknowledging its potential to become the epicentre for apicultural activities, quoting “Where there is honey, the land is rich.”
The Deputy CM stressed the importance of beekeeping, not only for honey production but also for the production of beeswax and the crucial role played by bees in pollination, enhancing crop productivity. He credited NBHM for sensitizing people to these by-products, leading to more individuals taking up beekeeping as a primary or secondary source of income.
Nagaland currently boasts over one lakh beekeepers, with NBHM adding approximately 25,000 more beekeepers across 500 villages, he informed. With the total honey production standing at 440 Metric Tonnes (MT) per annum, he expressed confidence in reaching the target of 2000 MT by 2030.
TR Zeliang praised the unique quality of Nagaland’s honey, attributing its taste to the rich source of nutrition for honeybees acquired from the state’s varied flora. He emphasized the organic nature of the honey, thanks to the untainted vegetation in Nagaland’s forests.
As the 5th Nagaland Honey Bee Day was celebrated, Zeliang extended his best wishes to NBHM, expressing confidence in revolutionizing honey production in the state and putting Nagaland on the world map. He also extended his congratulations to all the winners of the Honey Bee farmers at both state and district levels.
The event, hosted by Chubanungla Shilu, included addresses by Sushil Kumar Patel, IAS, Obed Quiker, and a quartet performance. Short speeches were delivered by notable figures, followed by the felicitation of awardees and the release of a book on their stories titled Award Winners’ Stories.
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Sentiwapang Aier, NCS, Additional Secretary to CM and Team Leader, NBHN.
