Ludhiana: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has concluded an intensive five-day advanced training programme designed to transform traditional beekeeping into a high-value “lucrative enterprise” for local farmers and rural women.The course, titled “Mass Queen Bee Rearing and Production of Hive Products,” focused on moving beyond simple honey extraction to the more technical and profitable aspects of apiculture. Under the guidance of technical experts, participants received hands-on experience in the specialised field of mass queen bee rearing. This technique is essential for farmers looking to scale their operations or sell high-quality bee stocks to other apiaries.
Jaspal Singh, the programme’s technical coordinator, highlighted that fiscal growth in modern beekeeping comes from diversification. Key training modules included royal jelly production (instructions on the extraction, specialized storage, and premium marketing of royal jelly), disease management (proactive strategies for maintaining colony health and expert consultation protocols), and stock enhancement (methods for selecting superior bee breeds to improve honey yield and resilience).Marketing and CertificationRecognizing that production is only half the battle, the Skill Development Centre focused heavily on the commercial pipeline. Experts detailed the requirements for Agmark certification, testing, and professional packaging to ensure products meet international standards. “Fine-tuning of apiculture skills and upgradation of knowledge are important for the economic progress of our farmers,” said Dr. Rupinder Kaur, Associate Director of Skill Development.The horticulture department also shared details regarding various Punjab govt schemes and subsidies available to help new entrepreneurs set up their units. With the growing global preference for honey in culinary recipes, course coordinator Prerna Kapila emphasised that the “scope of beekeeping in contemporary times” has never been greater for those with the right technical training.
