By T P Rajendran, S Devanesan and Sachin S Suroshe
The Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists - FIA, in association with Entomological Society of India, organised the National Conclave on Stingless Honey bees at YMCA, Thiruvananthapuram on 18-19 June 2024. This unique event organized for the first time in the country, had active participation of over 135 bee farmers who owned 5 to 130 Stingless honey bee colonies including those fourteen bee farmers, sponsored by Meghalaya Farmers Empowerment Commission. The ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Honey bees and Pollinators supported this Conclave in a big way.
The Conclave was led by Dr T P Rajendran (Former ADG, ICAR & Patron FIA). Prof. Stephen Devanesan (Former Dean, KAU) welcomed the participants to the meeting. Shri K K Thomas, President, Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists addressed the gathering. Dr B Ashok IAS, Principal Secretary & Agriculture Production Commissioner, Vice Chancellor-KAU performed the inauguration ceremony. Dr K Prathapan, Vice Chancellor, D Y Patil Agri. University of Agriculture & Technology, Talsande, Kolhapur dist., Maharashtra; Dr Sachin Suroshe Project Coordinator, ICAR-AICRP on Honey bees & Pollinators; Dr Roy Stephen, Dean KAU were spoke about the necessity of conservation and the steps to be taken in future to create awareness among the common people.
There were three Technical Sessions: 1) Scientific Advances in Stingless honey bee culture - meliponiculturists (stingless bee farmers) - scientists interphase, 2) Perspectives of Good Agriculture Practice to secure Crop Pollination Service and 3) Policy deliberations. The third session had active participation of lead farmers from Meghalaya and Kerala. It was a rare opportunity to interact with Stingless Bee farmers and Honey bee researchers from the other states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Goa.
The highly interactive National Stingless Bees Conclave was very informative with the active participation of small Melipona-farmers from across the nation. The presence of about 25 eminent scientists, researchers from various agricultural universities and experts from agro-industries and the policy making bodies from private entities and central and state governments made the conclave richer in content. The lead lectures as well as scientific updates to farmers in Stingless honey bee culture were useful to all participants. The GAP perspectives were vividly illustrated by the agri-chemical industry associations and their members. The meliponiculture in the country can expect brighter future under the GAP umbrella of intensive crop commodity production.
The Session on Policy deliberations on the following areas had the participation of farmers alongside the scientists as Panellists. The Conclave decided to formulate these Policy decisions as THIRUVANTHAPURAM DECLARATION.
Thiruvananthapuram Declaration
1. The standards for hives, honey and other hive products of Stingless honey bees is essential to make the business of meliponiculture lucrative and well-regulated for quality-assured bee products, as in the case of Apiculture. FIA can provide technical support in this regard to Bureau of Indian Standaards and Food Safety Standards Authority of India in partnership with ICAR-AICRP on Honey bees and Pollinators.
2. The need for developing large numbers of Melipona nurseries and thereby providing farmers with new colonies along with knowledge bank on the colony management was emphasised. Large-scale meliponiculture programmes can be undertaken through the RKVY, State Horticulture Mission and NFSM schemes of states.
3. The need for commencing meliponiculture through HONEY BEE PARKS under the auspices of Science Clubs in Schools across the country would enable supply of the medicinal honey that can be fed to children during their mid-day meal. Policy position for this purpose in all states can be developed. The schools can earn revenue while the students learn through entrepreneurial meliponiculture the skill and techniques. The local procurement of Apis Honey for mid-day meal feeding of children would become a positive support for apiculturists of each Panchayat. In the Mid-Day meal Scheme of the Schools in the States, honey can be included as part of the diet. One spoonful of honey produced in the schools from these hives of Apis honey bees and Stingless honey bees can tremendously increase the immunity of School children. Procurement of locally produced by bee farmers can be procured under the guidance of Parent-Teacher Association of each school.
4. Crop pollination service for skilled youth including women can be an initiative in Panchayati Raj institutions to facilitate excellent crop commodity productivity.
5. The conclave emphasized on the need to develop location-specific scientific techniques for breeding in large number of nurseries and multiplication of standard hives to ensure steady supply of healthy colonies. The possibility of using the stingless honey bees for pollination of crops such as fruits, vegetables and oil seeds, especially under protected cultivation has to be further enhanced.
6. Assessment of the medicinal properties of stingless honey is the need of the hour. Standardisation of quality assessment parameters of honey from the Stingless honey bee hives, its processing, marketing of honey and preparation of nutraceuticals are matters of future research.
7. Joint policy statements and follow-up programmes should be developed with definite road map for sustainable meliponiculture development across the country. The honey harvested should be branded regionally to ensure quality as well as to fetch better price of upto Rs 5000/kg honey, considering its extensive medicinal / wellness value. A market - supply chain can be developed to ensure pure stingless bee honey in each location. Appropriate labelling and bottling, as recommended by the Federation has to be adopted.
8. Standardisation and dissemination of Scientific technologies for processing and marketing of stingless bee honey was identified as another felt need.
9. A roadmap for implementation of a joint programme for large-scale meliponiculture development in various states, in both rural and urban niches, with the support of the government and non-governmental agencies may be formulated.
10. Agencies involved in the promotion of crop pollination and enhanced crop production can partner in such programmes and they should be consulted. The stingless bee farmers will be the key element in implementing these programmes. Each state can design a master-plan for enhancement of pollinator cohorts in crops.
11. The joint programme should be developed with definite road map for sustainable meliponiculture development across the country. The honey harvested should be branded regionally to ensure quality as well as to fetch better price of upto Rs 5000/kg, considering its medicinal value. A market - supply chain can be developed to ensure pure stingless bee honey in each location. Appropriate labelling and bottling, as recommended by the Federation has to be adopted. It was also decided to explore the possibility of obtaining GI (Geographic Indication) status for stingless bee honey. Stingless honey bees should be conserved and utilised as an integral component of the crop production systems by following Good Agricultural Practices suited for each zone.
Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists, Kerala decided to steer the Thiruvananthapuram Declaration to its logical end.
The Valedictory programme of the Conclave was chaired by Shri Baiju Kurup, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Thiruvananthapuram. The details of the Conclave was presented by Dr Devanesan, General Secretary, FIA. Dr Sachin Suroshe, Project Coordinator, ICAR-AICRP on Honey bees and Pollinators expressed complete satisfaction of the outcome of the Conclave. Shri Baiju Kurup was delighted at the outcome of the Conclave and told that NABARD can support the aspirational policies designed by the Conclave and meliponiculture as profitable rural economic enterprise. The Thiruvananthapuram Declaration was adopted by the Conclave.
The Conclave ended with a Vote of Thanks by Sri A Abdul Kalam, Patron-FIA.
Dr T P Rajendran,
Former ADG (Plant Protection), Indian Council of Agriculture Research, New Delhi
Founder Director, ICAR-National Institute for Biotic Stress Management, Raipur (CG)
Project Coordinator, ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project for COTTON
Email: tp.rajendran@yahoo.in (for correspondence)
Dr S Devanesan
Former Dean, KAU, General Secretary, Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists, Kerala
Dr Sachin S Suroshe
Project Coordinator, ICAR-AICRP on Honey bees and Pollinators, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi
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