Get ready to make more money with mustard honey: Experts

BATHINDA: As apiarists of Punjab keep their fingers crossed ahead of harvesting the remunerative mustard honey from the end of the month, experts advise struggling beekeepers to go for mass adoption of the queen bee rearing technique with high hygienic behaviour to make beekeeping a profiteering avocation, enhance productivity and combat mite attacks.

- Vishal Joshi

The honey, which is derived from mustard flower nectar, is highly demanded in the US and is also called 'cream honey'. Progressive beekeepers say subsidy is needed as it costs about ₹500 per queen bee per box, which is beyond the reach of most apiarists working at the small and medium scale.

Farmers transport bee boxes to the villages of Rajasthan and Haryana to produce mustard honey as the cultivation of Punjab's staple diet of 'sarson' has reduced drastically over the last decade.

Industry sources say Punjab's total annual honey production is around 20,000 tonnes, which is around 15% of India's total production. In the state, 75-80% of honey is mustard flower honey which is mostly exported.