Nagaland Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) is gearing up for its flagship event, Bee and Honey Trail (Eco Bee Tourism) to be held at Mima Village, and the fifth edition of Nagaland Honey Bee Day, at Bamboo Hall, Kisama, during the Hornbill Festival.
This was informed by chairman NBHM, Obed Quinker, at a press conference on Monday at NBHM Multi Utility Centre, 6th Mile Sovima. He informed that the Bee and Honey Trail (Eco Bee Tourism) would be flagged off by chairman IDAN, Abu Metha on November 29, while the fifth edition of Nagaland Honey Bee Day would be inaugurated by deputy chief minister, TR Zeliang, on December 5.
Dwelling on the flagship event of Bee and Honey Trail (Eco Bee Tourism), Quinker informed that the initiative, a first in NBHM’s history, aims to attract tourists to bee farms, offering them a firsthand experience of beekeeping and honey extraction.
He stated that a “Honey Hub” (Stall) would be opened at Kisama Village during the Hornbill Festival, which will showcase products and provide visitors with hands-on experiences from December 1 to 10.
Quinker expressed gratitude for the active participation of bee farmers, further expressing hope that this would become a permanent feature, putting the village on the map of the Hornbill Festival.
Additional Secretary to CM and team leader NBHM, Sentiwapang Aier, also highlighted on the upcoming events, stating that visitors could witness traditional and modern bee farming systems, purchase honey, and engage with bee entrepreneurs from all 16 districts.
Meanwhile, Deputy Team Leader NBHM, Khuvozoyi Vese, provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of beekeeping in Nagaland, shedding light on the challenges and potential opportunities within the sector.
He informed that the mission had scientifically trained 25 to 30 thousand bee farmers by providing comprehensive training programmes, along with the provision of essential materials and kits. He further opined that the state has around 1,20,000 beekeepers, inclusive of both scientific and traditional practices.
When queried about the state’s honey production and export activities, Vese revealed that Nagaland presently yields around 440 metric tons of honey annually. He added that while a substantial portion was consumed locally, a modest quantity was exported to other states through diverse distribution channels. He also added that Zunheboto emerged as the leading district in honey production, contributing significantly to the state’s overall output.
In response to questions about the state’s readiness for honey export, Vese outlined that the current production levels fall short of the required threshold.
He maintained that to initiate successful export ventures, Nagaland would need to boost its annual production to approximately 500 to 600 metric tons.
He affirmed on the high demand of Nagaland Honey both at the national and international market. He attributed the existing gap in meeting the demand to both fund constraints and relatively limited number of bee farmers in the state, and underscored the pressing need for increased development efforts and financial support from the state government to address these challenges.
He also attributed unique taste and organic by default with state being one of the bio diversity hotspot, as reasons to the high demand of Nagaland Honey.