Er. Prabhat Kishore —
“If the bees disappeared from the surface of the globe, man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” — Albert Einstein
World Bee Day is celebrated every year on May 20 to generate awareness about the importance of beekeeping in enhancing the yield of agricultural and horticultural products while also providing income and employment opportunities.
Beekeeping activities are widely carried out by farmers in rural areas under the Integrated Farming System (IFS). Honeybees are among the best pollinators, significantly improving the yield and quality of crops such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, and oilseeds through pollination support. They are vital for maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity.
By collecting nectar from flowering plants, bees transfer pollen from one plant to another and assist in fertilization. Nearly 85 percent of flowering plants depend on bees for survival, while one-third of the food consumed by humans relies on pollinators. Bees help pollinate around 70 to 100 major crops worldwide.
Beekeeping also provides income and employment to rural communities by increasing agricultural productivity and supplying valuable products such as honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly, comb honey, and bee venom. These products have immense medicinal, nutritional, and commercial value. Owing to these benefits, honeybees and beekeeping are now considered the “fifth input” for sustainable agricultural and horticultural development.
Recognizing the importance of beekeeping, the Government of India approved the Central Sector Scheme, the “National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM),” fully funded by the Central Government, to promote scientific beekeeping and achieve the goal of a “Sweet Revolution” in the country. The mission consists of three Mini Missions — MM-I, MM-II, and MM-III.
Under MM-I, emphasis is placed on increasing crop productivity through pollination supported by scientific beekeeping practices. Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), honey testing laboratories, bee disease diagnostic and treatment labs, apitherapy centres, and other infrastructure facilities are being established. The scheme also focuses on developing nucleus stock and bee breeders, custom hiring centres, digitization and online registration, insurance support, promotion of bee-friendly flora and gardens, and the empowerment of women in beekeeping activities.
MM-II focuses on post-harvest management of beekeeping products, including collection, processing, storage, branding, packaging, value addition, marketing, and trade, along with the creation of necessary infrastructure.
MM-III is dedicated to research and technology development suited to different regions, agro-climatic conditions, and socio-economic environments across the country.
The Government of India approved ₹500 crore under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Programme for beekeeping initiatives through the NBHM for the period 2021–2023. The National Bee Board (NBB) has been designated as the nodal agency for the promotion and development of scientific beekeeping in India.
The themes of recent World Bee Day celebrations have highlighted the growing importance of bee conservation. The 2024 theme, “Bee Engaged with Youths,” emphasized involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation. The 2025 theme, “Bee Inspired by Nature to Nourish Us All,” focused on the role of bees in ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, food security, and nutrition. The 2026 theme, “Bee Together for People and the Planet – A Partnership that Sustains Us All,” underlined the enduring relationship between humans and bees in supporting food production, livelihoods, and cultural traditions for thousands of years.
Considering the widespread use of honey and other beehive products, their significance for human health, and the dependence of global agriculture on pollination, large-scale awareness campaigns are being organized by various departments and institutions. Beekeeping contributes to the prosperity of farmers, the health of people, and the strength of the nation. Every citizen must support the preservation of this life-saving creature.
