Sri Vijaya Puram, March 11: A five-day training program on "Apiculture for Beginners" was conducted at ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sippighat, South Andaman, from March 6 to March 10, 2025. The program was organized by the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Port Blair and ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI), Port Blair. The training was funded by CSIR-NBRI under the CSIR- Floriculture Mission (phase –II). A total of 32 farmers nominated by the Department of Agriculture and 11 self-motivated farmers from three blocks of South Andaman participated in this program.

The inaugural session was graced by Dr. E. B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, as the Chief Guest. He emphasized the importance of increasing honey production in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The training covered various aspects of beekeeping, including Introduction to Apiculture – Types of honeybees, bee rearing techniques, and colony management by Dr. Y. Ramakrishna (Principal Scientist & Head, KVK). Importance of Bee Flora in Apiculture – A lecture by Ms. Sushma (Subject Matter Specialist, Horticulture). Pest and Disease Management in Beekeeping – Session by Shri Mohit (Subject Matter Specialist, Plant Protection). Practical Demonstration – Handling of bee boxes and hive management by Shri Thanmai Paul (Farm Manager, KVK).

The valedictory session, held on March 10, 2025, was graced by Smt. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, Secretary, Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration as the Chief Guest, along with Dr. Ajit Kumar Shasany (Director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow) and Dr. E. B. Chakurkar (Director, ICAR-CIARI).

A tri-partite MOU between Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Port Blair and ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI), Port Blair and CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh was also signed and exchanged to promote floriculture activities in the bay islands.   

During the interactive session, farmer trainees discussed key challenges in beekeeping. To support the farmers, 200 bee colonies were distributed among the nominated participants during the closing ceremony.

The program was coordinated by Dr. Y. Ramakrishna (Principal Scientist & Head, KVK) and Dr. Soumit Kumar Behera (Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow). The event concluded with remarks by Dr. Sandip Kumar Behera (Senior Scientist, CSIR-NBRI) and was moderated by Mr. Mohit (Subject Matter Specialist, KVK, South Andaman).

A total of 43 trainees (28 men and 15 women) benefited from the training. This initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening beekeeping practices in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, promoting bio-diversity, sustainable honey production, and enhancing farmers' livelihoods.