There is much that draws people to Goa year after year. Its abundant natural wealth beckons tourists and visitors, seeking to unwind far from the madding crowds of urban life. The local flora also attracts bees.
And, where there are bees, there are beekeepers!
While the state is seen as a tourist destination or a land of fascinating traditions and culture, non-traditional activities such as beekeeping can be found locally, too, and are done on a professional level as well as by hobbyists.
In Goa, quite a number of people have long been involved in beekeeping, and the first beekeepers’ society in Goa, the ‘Bardez Beekeepers Society’, was officially registered in December 2022.
The first beekeepers’ society in Goa, 'The Bardez Beekeepers Society’, was officially registered in December 2022.
THE GOA SCENE
Beekeeping in Goa produces exceptional, high quality honey from various locations in Bardez and talukas within the Western Ghat areas, due to the abundance of dense flora in these regions.
In Goa 1 kg of honey retails at ₹ 1,500 making it a viable business/ employment opportunity.
The flora prevalent in the valleys of Canacona, Sanguem, Quepem, Dharbandora, Ponda and Sattari talukas are indigenous to the Western Ghat vegetation, and similar to that of the hills in Sirsi, in neighbouring Karnataka.
LEARNING FROM THE NEIGHBOURS
In January 2024, a 9-member delegation, headed by Allwyn Siqueira (president of the Bardez Beekeepers Society) and Medha Monteiro (secretary), undertook a specially curated inter-state educational visit to the beekeeping and honey facilities in Honnavar and Sirsi, in Karnataka.
The visit enabled members of Goa’s Bardez Beekeepers Society to observe the honey production facilities, bee box fabrication and production, at the Honnavar Beekeepers Cooperative Society, Zenkar Bee box fabrication unit and Ravindra Hegde Apiary (comprising over 100 bee boxes), all in Karnataka.
The visit also enabled the Goa delegation to get a first-hand experience of interacting with successful entrepreneurs, which can greatly benefit established and potential beekeepers in Goa.
Established in 1941, the Honnavar Beekeepers Society currently has 1,500 members. This strength in member numbers clearly indicates the significant progress the society has made over the years.
Through a single sophisticated infrastructure production platform, the Honnavar beekeeping unit serves the processing and packaging needs of the steadily increasing number of beekeepers through its modern, automatic honey-processing plant.
The visit was organised by The Bardez Beekeepers Society and facilitated through the Zonal Agricultural Office (ZAO), Mapusa; and the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), North Goa.
It showcased and highlighted the importance of post-processing honey, and fabrication of ISA Type-A bee boxes used by beekeepers in Goa.
The Goa delegation also provided significant recommendations for improved bee box design which is conducive to the environmental conditions prevailing within Goa’s natural habitat.
They were also able to gain an understanding of the successful beekeeping model in Honnavar and Sirsi, and the same schemes and techniques could be implemented in Goa through The Bardez Beekeepers Society.
Through these schemes, training sessions, supply of equipment (free for tribal communities through Tribal Sub Plan Schemes), refresher classes, cluster development etc. can be undertaken.
The society can subsequently purchase honey from farmers, process and market the same, thereby improving the income of local farmers in forested and tribal villages of the state.
Also joining the delegation from Goa were noted beekepers Narendra Talvalkar (Dharbandora), Dr Sandra Desouza (Curtorim) and Shilpa Sukumaran (Margao), who produce significant quantities of honey from their established beekeeping units. The group was accompanied by noted apiculturist, P Shaliyo.
ABOUT BARDEZ BEEKEEPERS SOCIETY
The Bardez Beekeepers Society is the 150th registered Beekeepers Society in India, and the only one of its kind in the State of Goa.
The secretary of the society, Medha Monteiro was instrumental in coordinating this educational visit of the Goa delegation.
The president of the Bardez Beekeepers Society, Allwyn Siqueira, appreciated the efforts by Monteiro, who co-ordinated with ZAO, Mapusa and ATMA, North Goa, to facilitate the highly informative and productive visit.
The scheme, titled ‘Promotion of Bee Keeping for Honey Production’, notified in the Official Gazette, Government of Goa, dated April 12, 2013, encourages the promotion of beekeeping in Goa.
A number of State and Central beekeeping schemes are available so as to encourage beekeeping and honey production.
The scheme, titled ‘Promotion of Bee Keeping for Honey Production’, notified in the Official Gazette, Government of Goa, dated April 12, 2013, encourages the promotion of beekeeping in Goa.
The ‘Fund Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)’ scheme encourages the formation of various clusters, and beekeeping is a very prospective industry that can benefit from this scheme.
In a short span of just one year, The Bardez Beekeepers Society already has close to 100 members, and aspires to create a 1,000 member cluster by 2030.
Anyone from North Goa, involved in (or looking to get into) beekeeping as a hobby or in a professional capacity, can join the society, which regularly conducts workshops and training sessions, among other activities.
For more details about membership and activities of The Bardez Beekeepers Society, contact +91 98221 62385 or +91 98226 88023
