Mukti is driving the beekeeping project as a pilot project for vulnerable communities of Sundarban as a self-sustainability initiative. Before introducing beekeeping as a sustainable livelihood to people, there is a need for research on the nature, character, and habitat of bees. The bees that were being reared at Purba Sridharpur Mukti SAM office premises were mainly Italian bees. Last August, with the end of the flowering season in the Sundarbans, the honeybees migrated in search of flowers, and the boxes used for rearing the bees were lying unused.
In order to continue honey production, Mukti has defined the regions and seasonal flower production zones to migrate the bee boxes accordingly. From August to November, 40 boxes were migrated to Rayna No 1 of North 24 Parganas district and now they are located at Pakuyahat village of Malda district. The production of honey from these boxes will increase by at least 5 times in the months from December to March as the Eucalyptus and Mustard crops will be in full bloom during that time.
Mukti Honey Beekeeping project supervisor Mr. Palash Bairagi is in charge of the boxes and is visiting the districts where the boxes are being sent. He is improving his knowledge of beekeeping in this process. He will serve as a trainer in Purba Sridharpur for anyone interested in taking up beekeeping as an occupation as a livelihood.
The bee boxes will be returned to Mukti in March-April 2023. It is estimated that each of these bee boxes will produce nearly 6-7 kg of honey during the peak season. Further, the beekeepers will be able to migrate their boxes to nearby districts where honey bees will find an abundance of pollen and nectar and thus add to honey production.