Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir has received a Rs 4-crore grant from the National Bee Board (NBB) for setting up three honey testing laboratories, training farmers for beekeeping and conducting apiculture research.
The grant has been awarded to the SKUAST-K’s Research and Training Centre for Pollinators, Pollinizers and pollination Management,Division of Entomology for undertaking six honey bee projects.The centre is a dedicated centre of excellence at the university for the research and development and extension for epiculture and pollination ecosystem services by the honey bees and its management for the production of temperate field and horticulture crops.
Apart from these two projects on scientific bee keeping training in Kupwara and Baramulla Districts,the potential of research studies in bee keeping under low conditions of Gurez,the grant includes setting up of three honey testing laboratories in Pulwama,Kupwara and Bandipora Districts.
The Three state of the art testing laboratories to be set up under the projects will be the first of its kind in Kashmir to check quality and purity of honey and other bee products.
The testing for the quality and branding of honey in the apairies will be undertaken in these laboratories.The purity and quality certification from these laboratories will facilitate the marketing and export for Kashmir honey.
