Beekeepers in the state’s Malwa region are staring at losses due a likely spurt in the cost to preserve mustard honey with exporters offering lower rates in the absence of an arrangement to ensure a minimum support price for it.
A decline in production due to sudden changes in weather have also added to the beekeepers" woes.
Mustard honey constitutes three-fourth of the total honey produced in the state.
It is a variety that is produced by bees that collect nectar from mustard plants and mostly exported to the US and Europe.
Malwa Progressive Beekeepers’ Association president Jaswant Singh said they recently held a meeting with exporters based in Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh during which the price was fixed at Rs 118 per kg.
Last year, one kilogram of mustard honey fetched Rs 145.
“They (exporters) are yet to start purchasing it even though the extraction of mustard honey takes place from mid-November to February-end,” he said.
He said these days, beekeepers are often required to move their bee nest boxes to locations closer to mustard fields to increase production.
“We are currently storing honey at the room temperature. In March, we will have to store it in cold stores. It will increase our input cost. Apiculture requires hard work and money. However, exporters usually make a cartel and fix the price. There is hardly any marketing support from the state government,” Jaswant Singh added.
Some beekeepers said that the production of other varieties, like eucalyptus honey, wild flora and multi flora honey, is comparatively lesser.
A senior officer in the Horticulture Department said there are currently 6,000 beekeepers in the state, having almost 4 lakh bee nest boxes.
Apiculture mostly takes place in Bathinda and Muktsar districts.
“The Centre and state governments provide subsidies on bee nest boxes and bees. However, there is no minimum support price for honey. Mustard honey has high demand in other countries, especially the US and Europe. Exporters and traders set the price based on their requirements,” the official said.
The official said the input cost is likely to go up if the current situation continues to prevail. “Honey is non-perishable in nature. However, it is extracted with some precautions. Even a small amount of dust or other contaminants can cause fungus,” he added.
