Shillong, Oct 20 Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the state’s organic honey has the potential to compete in global markets if supported by scientific production, quality control and branding.
Sangma inaugurated the Apiculture Multi-Facility Centre-cum-Processing Unit at Mellim in Rerapara block in South West Garo Hills, to strengthen beekeeping through scientific production, technical training, processing and market access.
He said Meghalaya’s honey had been termed the best in the world and stressed that the focus must extend beyond distributing bee boxes to colony management, quality control, processing, packaging, branding and organised marketing.
The chief minister said the government was considering setting up a Bee Museum and Interpretation Centre to promote the state’s organic honey and showcase honey production through digital interpretation.
According to the chief minister, scientific beekeeping, processing and branding could help transform Meghalaya’s organic honey into a major rural enterprise and expand its reach to international markets.
Under Apiculture Mission 2.0, the state is covering 87 clusters and 6,491 beekeepers across all 12 districts in three phases.
A total of 32,455 bee boxes and 6,491 equipment sets have been distributed, with each beekeeper receiving five bee boxes and one equipment set, a senior government official told PTI.
He said 39 clusters covered under Phase III produced 157.69 metric tonnes of honey during 2024-25.
The state has also established an Integrated Bee Development Centre at Sambrak in North Garo Hills, equipped with training, testing, processing, hive-manufacturing, storage, retail and information facilities.
The new facility in South West Garo Hills will support raw-honey collection, processing, bottling, testing, marketing and bee-box manufacturing, addressing key post-harvest requirements.
The programme was attended by MLAs Mehtab Chandee Sangma, Sanjay Sangma and Subir Marak, along with beekeepers, self-help groups, officials from the Horticulture Department and the district administration.
(PTI News)
