The current studies of prevalent honey adulteration has shaken the consumer assurance and the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which is playing a key job in selling apiculture, feels that apart from hampering consumer pursuits, this sort of circumstances affect the livelihoods of farmers and tribal bee keepers. In an interview with BusinessLine, KVIC’s Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena, calls for stringent action in opposition to adulteration and urges authorities to ban imports of Superior Fructose Syrup. Excerpts:
Amidst studies of adulteration by some key honey manufacturers, what steps do you believe should really be taken to keep consumer’s trust?
KVIC has normally emphasized on keeping the purity of honey and has retained the high-quality generated by its units which is 100{ae9868201ea352e02dded42c9f03788806ac4deebecf3e725332939dc9b357ad} purely natural and incorporates no synthetic compound. Whilst these studies are alarming, it is truly worth mentioning that none of the Khadi’s honey manufacturers has been found to be adulterated. This is essential so as to retain the trust of the buyers on real Khadi merchandise.
KVIC has asked for to Centre to ban import of Superior Fructose Syrup or impose a hefty import duty so as to put a check on this malpractice. A ban on the import of these syrup from China will discourage the non-public businesses from honey adulteration. Adulterated honey is less expensive but poses a well being hazard to the general public.
Do you believe there is a want for a framework for necessary disclosure of the supply of the honey offered by businesses?
In perspective of these studies, there is an immediate want for stricter regulations to stop adulteration of honey which, in convert, will also ensure better value for beekeepers who are largely farmers and the Adivasis. The Food Security Specifications Authority of India (FSSAI) has by now recommended a number of checks on purity of honey but they have proven ineffective. Accordingly, stricter checks like the globally acknowledged Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) should really also be made necessary.
How about a tracing system of bee keepers with use of technological innovation?
Several technological interventions can be probable. There were endeavours to use geo-tagging also. But there are practical issues to carry out this sort of systems. KVIC presents 10 packing containers to each individual bee keeper. And these businesses order in tonnes. So it is not probable to trace each individual producer. Also, numerous of the bee keepers provide on their individual domestically. Almost it is challenging to trace them.
How is KVIC’s honey bee cultivation programme developing?
In September, 2017 Key Minister Narendra Modi kicked-off the ‘Sweet Revolution’ aiming to capitalise on India’s honey manufacturing capabilities. KVIC introduced its Honey Mission and in just earlier 3 yrs, the activity has distribute across India from superior altitude parts of Jammu & Kashmir to southern states like Kerala and from Tripura. KVIC is targeting farmers, beekeepers, Adivasis, unemployed youth who are educated and supplied bee packing containers and other machines.
Honey Mission has been really effective in Pulwama and Kupwara in J&K the place superior altitude honey is being generated on a large scale. In 2018, KVIC developed a planet document by distributing 2330 bee packing containers on a single day in Kupwara (J&K) in affiliation with the Indian Army. Right before this, a thousand bee packing containers were dispersed on a single day to the Mishing Tribe in Kaziranga in Assam.
How remunerative is bee retaining?
A bee keeper with 10 packing containers, can easily get more money Rs 50,000. Beekeeping calls for no expenditure and physical work as the entire work is accomplished by the bees. It is, therefore, a analyzed software of escalating the money of bee keepers. Apart from honey all other bee merchandise this sort of as bee wax, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom fetch fantastic money to the beekeepers as they are at high quality. KVIC also encourages beekeepers to produce superior altitude honey and other unifloral honey that provide at a greater value in the current market. The Honey Mission is being implemented on cluster method the place KVIC offer complete hand keeping to beekeepers – ideal from education to honey extraction, bottling, labelling and promoting of honey in the markets. Therefore, beekeeping is remunerative and a worthwhile proposition for beekeepers. In just 2 yrs considering the fact that its launch, 2450 bee packing containers were dispersed by KVIC in Banaskantha district alone from which 19,five hundred kilograms of finest honey was extracted and offered to the Banas Dairy by the farmers.
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