SKUAST-JAMMU ORGANIZES AWARENESS PROGRAMME FOR BEEKEEPERS OF JAMMU REGION

Jammu, March 13: One day awareness cum training programme on Beekeeping for farmers and beekeepers of Jammu was organised by the AICRP (Honeybee and Pollinators), Division of Entomology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu Chatha on 13th March 2017 under the guidance of Director Research. Progressive beekeepers and farmers from different parts of Jammu region attended the programme. Dr. J. P. Sharma, Director Research, SKUAST-Jammu was the chief guest and highlighted the importance of the beekeeping for increasing productivity and providing employment to the unemployed youth. He stressed for adoption of scientific beekeeping for the management of honeybee diseases increased honey production. Speaking on the occasion, Director Extension Dr. K. S. Risam emphasised the farmers to adopt beekeeping to increases their income resources. He motivated the participants to visit SKUAST-J Kisan Mela on March 17 and 18, 2017. Dr. D. P. Abrol, Dean Faculty of Agriculture stressed for formation of organization by beekeepers for redressal of their problems. Dr. V. Kaul, Professor and Head expressed satisfaction that beekeeping is being well adopted in the country for increasing crop productivity. Dr. Devinder Sharma, Project Investigator of the Project, gave an overview of the training programme and demonstrated various management techniques for management of honeybee diseases such as brood diseases, adult diseases and predators of honeybees. He also gave a detailed account of farmers friendly schemes in beekeeping. Dr. R. S. Bandral deliberated upon various aspects of beekeeping including queen bee rearing, bee flora and diversification of bee products. On this occasion beekeeping equipments were distributed to the selected beekeepers/farmers being supplied by AICRP (Honeybee and Pollinators) for promoting scientific beekeeping. The participants expressed great satisfaction and requested the University to organise such programmes at regular intervals. The beekeepers requested the University to take up the issues/problems faced by the beekeepers viz. non availability of beekeeping equipments, medicines, fixation of Minimum Support price of honey and hassle free movement of bee colonies on the toll plaza/check points to the state government. The programme ended with vote of thanks.