Sirohi, a district of Rajasthan with 31% forest cover is known for ils biodiversily and is an excellent source of honey production. Honey, a minor forest produce is manufactured commercially using two methods. The natural method is a primitive one, mostly adopted by the local poor people who go to the forests to collect honey produced by wild bees. However, this is not sustainable and can be challenged by a number of factors. The locals of Sirohi who engage in a primitive mode of honey collection, lack the awareness and scientific bee breeding technology training, as bee boxes, bee colonies and bee breeders were not available in Sirohi or the adjoining districts. Those who managed to acquire honey from the forest did not have linkages to potential buyers. To address these problems and with the objective to increase the income of farmers, a strategy similar to Bharatpur’s beekeeping model was devised. A beekeeping project was submitted to the Department of Horticulture to provide financial aid to the farmers. The first step of the project was to raise awareness among farmers... Read More