With beekeeping in focus, NBHM tours 3 districts in Nagaland

MOKOKCHUNG, MAY 20 (MExN): The Nagaland Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) led by its chairman Obed Quinker, team leader Sentiwapang Aier along with team members and project assistants, undertook a tour of Wokha, Mokokchung & Tseminyu from May 15-17 with a view to get a first-hand experience and to have interactions with beekeepers in the three districts.

A press release informed that as part of the tour itinerary different villages were visited in order to conduct sensitization and awareness programs for the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVK) established by NBHM with the support from Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.   

At Wokha district, the team covered two villages namely N Longidang and Changsu New, where the representatives of the 2 VDVKs were sensitized on the Van Dhan program under PMJVM scheme being implemented by NBHM with support from TRIFED under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.  

At Mokokchung district, the sensitization program was organized on May 16 for 4 VDVKs of Khensa, Chungtia, Ungma and Sungratsu at the multi-purpose hall, Khensa village. At Tseminyu, the program was organized at Phentejon Bamboo Model Village on May 17 for Phentejon VDVK with members mobilized from neighboring cluster villages.

NBHM chairman Obed Quinker, in his speech, pointed out that the selected villages from the VDVK clusters were the lucky few from the many existing villages in the districts and therefore urged the communities to actively and positively participate in implementing the scheme and make it into a success story so that more government programs and projects would be encouraged to be implemented in the villages. 

He encouraged the beneficiaries and the stakeholders of the van dhan program to never lose the hard-working culture of the Nagas. He stated that the VDVK scheme with NBHM as the implementing agency is meant to benefit the public at large and the farming communities in particular and hoped that it would go a long way in empowering the stakeholders through various trainings and skilling programs. 

He added that this would result in adding a feather to the cap of NBHM at the same time usher in prosperity and empowerment to the beneficiaries. He encouraged the stakeholders to set goals and work with a visionary zeal so that they would serve as model VDVKs.

Team leader, NBHM, Sentiwapang Aier, in his keynote address, remarked that bee rearing initiatives in many villages across the State has been very encouraging and the success of these trend is largely due to the continued hard work, passion and dedication by the beekeeping community, who have extended cooperation to the Mission’s activities and enabled NBHM to have a good track record over the years. 

He stated that even this time TRIFED has come forward to support NBHM for establishment of the VDVKs in all the 16 districts of the State. He highlighted the various aspects of the program and stated that the van dhan program was a little different than the usual beekeeping activities as it was cluster based with one VDVK comprising of 300 beneficiaries mostly comprising of different SHG members working as one big cohesive unit. 

He also stated that whatever has been provided and still to be provided under the scheme would be fully done, therefore urged the VDVKs in all 3 districts to take up the responsibility of ensuring the successful implementation of the scheme for economic upliftment and sustainable utilization of various forest resources found in their villages and surrounding cluster areas. 

At the same time, he encouraged the beekeepers to continue upholding their beekeeping trade and contribute to the biodiversity conservation through the pollination services of honeybees.   

The tour itinerary also covered apiary (bee farm) visits at N Longidang under Wokha district and apiaries at Chungtia, Yisemyong and Yimchalu under Mokokchung district. During the field visits the team had the opportunity to inspect, observe and learn from both long-time seasoned beekeepers as well as interact with new upcoming beekeepers, who has in recent years taken up beekeeping as part of integrated farming, with support from NBHM. 

During the apiary site visits, the team inspected and took stock of the various bee species being reared and learned from the beekeeper’s experiences too. The team took note of various challenges and problems faced by the beekeepers and requirements needed by them in the near future. 

As part of the itinerary, a stopover was made at the ‘healing home’ located at Terogunyu village under Tseminyu district on May 17, where trained practitioners of Apitherapy (Bee venom therapy) have been administering bee sting therapy to many patients with various ailments. The team also got to experience bee venom therapy via bee stings at the Centre. 

Various leaders, village council members and representatives of SHG members also spoke during the events in the three districts. Team member & coordinator of TRIFED, Mhathung Tsopoe gave the highlights of the scheme and educated the VDVKs on the importance of value additions and harnessing the wealth of the forest and converting them into various value-added products and to market their products in various markets outside the State. NBHM team members Nzanbemo and Temjenchuba coordinated and charted out the entire tour program.