Honey production and marketing is set to receive a major boost in Punjab’s Malwa region with the Union Government sanctioning a honey cluster in Bathinda district.
The cluster, which has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises following the recommendation of the local MP and the Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal under a scheme dealing with regeneration of traditional industries, will come up in Tungwali village.
A total of Rs 3.25 crore is being spent to establish this common facility, including a grant in aid of Rs 2.60 crore.
Giving details, Harsimrat said that traditional honey clusters existed in Bathinda and more than 1500 artisans were involved in activities like bee keeping, wax making and honey processing across 68 villages in the district.
Bathinda MP said that other than the common facility, the interventions sanctioned under the project included soft interventions like facilitating exposure visits, skill upgradation training, new product development and marketing facilitation.
She said that besides benefitting 1500 artisans engaged in this profession, the cluster would encourage more farmers to take to honey production as well as encourage entrepreneurs to make honey based products.