Beekeeping thrives in Goa with promising honey yields

On World Bee Day which is approaching on May 20, the buzz is on Goa’s growing community of beekeepers who are experiencing a luscious season of honey production, writes Shoma Patnaik

May celebrated as the month of World Bee Day, is turning out to be good for beekeepers in the state. At Parra, on the Anjuna hill slope, beekeeper Medha Monteiro, who is also the secretary of Bardez Beekeepers Society, produced 13 kg of varied flavour honey, from a single hive.

In Acoi, Mapusa, beekeeper Ken Miranda, collected 12 kg of honey from his hive. Far away in Dharbandora, Narendra Talwalkar, a successful honey producer and farm owner, saw his hives yielding 8 kg of honey.

The Goa Forest Development Corporation that recently started beekeeping also hit a sweet patch in its honey yield. GFDC, managing director Nandkumar Parab, says that, the corporation’s beekeeping initiative started as a pilot project in 2024, in two locations of Sattari and Sanguem, yielded 80 kg, so far his season. “Our honey production for the full season is targeted at 160 kg., from 140 kg in 2024,” discloses Parab.

The GFDC sold its honey at Rs 1,000 per kg., under its Sylvan brand. The sales were to locals as well as tourists who visited the corporation’s medicinal plant garden at Selaulim.

Parab says that GFDC’s cashew plantation yield has improved every since it started keeping beehives. “Bees are cross pollinators of crops. They are natural regenerators of fruit trees and agriculture crops. Our fruit trees have benefitted from bee hives kept nearby,” explains Parab.

Apiarist P Shaliyo, says that most beekeepers in the state have done well with honey production this year. Their production of honey ranges from 5 kg to 15 kg from each box. He points out that, Goa forested talukas of Dhanbandora, Sanguem, Canacona, Sattari , Valpoi as well as Bardez which is a part of the western ghats are ideal for apiculture and honey production. “Goa can easily achieve one lakh ton of honey annually if apiculture is pursued actively,”

says Shaliyo.

Honey production in the state occurs in seasons. September to December is the season for minor honey flow, while December to June 10, is considered as the major honey flow season. Bees continue to be busy in the non-flow monsoon season too, but they need protection from the rains and also supplementary feeding.

“Beekeeping is a science. Bees are a highly regimented society. During the rainy season the hive needs maintenance to safeguard against the whole swarm flying out of the bee box,” says Parab. He says that, beekeeping is an engrossing activity that has the advantage of earning significant secondary income to

the beekeeper.

Goa’s beekeeping is scattered activity due to which there is no record on the volume of honey production. The stakeholders comprise individual beekeepers, the Bardez Beekeepers Society- the only registered society of beekeepers, the GFDC, the Goa Khadi and Village Industries Board, which implements the state scheme for beekeeping and few honey producing units.

The Members of the Bardez society are keen to conduct workshops for fellow beekeepers on the best technology and the scientific methods for increasing honey production. Apiarists in the state point out that, Goa has rich flora and bee colonies grow abundantly in the wild. Therefore beekeeping as an economic activity can take off if pursued properly. They said that, the state government scheme for beekeeping has yielded modest results until now.

With honey demand high and growing, the ministry of agriculture is running the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission for promoting scientific beekeeping to increase the agricultural production. Goa is not mentioned by the ministry among states that are a part of the national programme.

Shaliyo says to encourage honey production in the state the government must organize beekeeping festivals. The festivals need to be in association with the local community of beekeepers, kulaghar farmers, the KVIC, the ICAR, the GFDC and the agriculture department, he says.

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering MagR expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the MagR gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups. Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US The US informed that it had exterminated the worldʼs largest hornets, nicknamed "killer hornets" — they are capable of occupying a hive of honey bees in just 90 minutes, decapitating all its inhabitants and feeding their offspring to their own. This was reported by the Department of Agriculture in Washington. The hornets, which can reach five centimeters in length, were previously called Asian giant hornets, but in 2019 they were also spotted in Washington state near the Canadian border. In China, these insects killed 42 people and seriously injured 1,675. A dead northern giant hornet (below) next to a native bald hornet. According to experts, the hornets could have entered North America in plant pots or shipping containers. The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits because it produces nearly seven times more venom than a honeybee and stings multiple times. Thatʼs why the Washington Departme...

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making The Courier Express has partnered with digital media arts students at Jeff Tech to highlight accomplishments and updates from the school. q q q REYNOLDSVILLE — The new “Intro to Agriculture” class, taught by advanced manufacturing instructor Perry Neal, has recently been buzzing throughout the halls of Jeff Tech. The course has been receiving positive feedback from both students and teachers. “It’s a great class. I love it,” said Jeff Tech student Jacob DeFoor. Student Kyle Lasher said, “I’m really considering getting bees of my own.” Intro to Agriculture is an 18-week course that starts with students learning anything and everything bees. They gather together to learn the process and safety procedures of making honey from scratch with locally-sourced honey bees. In class, students research pollination, foods that contain honey, where to purchase hive equipment, types of bees, etc., according to N...

New data confirm catastrophic honey bee colony losses,underscoring urgent need for action

New data confirm catastrophic honey bee colony losses,underscoring urgent need for action Newly analyzed data confirm the staggering honey bee colony losses detailed last month of 1.6 million colonies lost with commercial beekeepers sustaining an average loss of 62% between June 2024 and March 2025. Additional survey responses and field analyses now paint an even darker picture, reinforcing concerns about the long-term viability of pollination services critical to U.S. agriculture. Experts warn that without immediate intervention, the ripple effects could drive up costs for farmers, disrupt food production and shutter many commercial beekeeping operations. “Beekeeping businesses are facing unprecedented challenges that threaten their survival from colony losses we haven’t seen in nearly 20 years. The swift response from stakeholders and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is critical in providing beekeepers with the data and information to make well informed decisions to sustain t...

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals a distressing consequence of global warming: the irreversible loss of valuable climate data stored in alpine glaciers. The research, conducted by a team led by Margit Schwikowski from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are melting and highlights the implications for climate research. The study focuses on the Corbassière glacier at Grand Combin in Switzerland, where ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 were intended to serve as vital climate archives. However, comparing the two sets of ice cores reveals a grim reality—global warming has rendered the glacier unsuitable as a reliable climate archive. Glaciers, renowned as climate archives, encapsulate valuable information about past climatic conditions and atmospheric compositions. The fluctuating concentrations of trace substances in ice layers provide insights into historica...

Small actions make a big difference engilsh dkbee.com

이 블로그 검색