Malda Honey Bee Malda, West Bengal

In early 70s, most of the inhabitants in the cluster area were marginal agriculture and labourer. Some of them approx 20 nos took training on beekeeping and started their venture with bee box and equipments supplied by District Industries Centre and Khadi & Village Industries Board. The response they got their venture encouraged the other inhabitant to take this activity as an additional source of income . In course of time the consumption of honey in day to day life increased over the country as well as in the local market, more and more people came forward to take such activity for their livelihood and in this way number of beekeeping units increased.
In the year 1995, some of the bee keeping units formed an association for the development of beekeeping units in the cluster. The association has their own land measuring about katha and office room. But the association was not registered. This is so happen owing to dissention over certain issues amongst the members of the association. However, near about 135 members enrolled their name in the association . The association used to interfere in various problems related to beekeeping industry viz. migration and price bargaining for selling of raw honey. At present the activity of the association is not mentionable. The cluster units feel the presence of an active association in respect to their day-to-day activity. There after an Industrial Co- Operative Society has been formed and duly registered by competent authority. The society has been approved and registered as SPV of present cluster and have under taken a number of activities of soft intervention under MSE-CDP and a number of fruitful outcomes in respect of constraints described in DSR. For purpose of CFC the society has also acquired land form association referred above and registered in his name by registration authority. As a consequence of increasing beekeeping units, various other activities related to this industry developed in the cluster. These activities are manufacturing of bee box, foundation sheet and activities like supply of sugar, medicine, honey extractor, other equipments.
With a view to process the raw honey produce in the cluster District Service Cum Marketing Society Ltd. A society attached with DIC came forward in the year 1980. This society process raw honey by traditional method and sell it through its own outlet and this process is still continuing. But the volume of processing of raw honey is decreasing due to its own infrastructural constraints and in respect of maintaining quality of market specification.
After 70s with the increase of demand of honey and change in socio-economic structure, several organizations trained some youths so that they can take this activity for self employment. Apart from DIC and KVIC, several other organizations viz. NABARD, KVIC, BDO Office came forward for training. At present, nearly 300 beekeeping units are trained with scientific method of beekeeping. Now there are about 700 numbers of bee keeping unit are there in the cluster area.
By observing the above scenario in the cluster the need of CFC was felt to add value to the products and provide the artisans opportunity to improve the product quality, produce new apiary based products and market the products in national and international markets.