Mumbai: India's first Honey Festival will kick off on January 18 and 19

There is immense potential for honey beekeeping in Maharashtra due to the diversity and abundance of flowers. Therefore, the country's first Honey Mahotsav 2024 was organised by the Khadi and Village Industries Board on January 18 and 19 to create awareness, training and promotion about beekeeping to expand the scope of the honey industry.

Forest and Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will inaugurate the festival at Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan in Mumbai at 11 am. Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board Chairman Ravindra Sathe in a press conference appealed to the citizens to participate in the festival. Bees are not limited to just honey and wax but also increase agricultural production through pollination. Bees are an important element of nature and are directly linked to the rural economy.

Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board implements various schemes to increase honey production. These mainly include the new concepts of Madh Center Scheme and Madh Village. In this festival, information about by-products of the beekeeping industry like pollen, wax, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom etc. is being displayed.

Therefore, at least 20 stalls of various beekeepers in the state will be set up for honey as well as by-products made from honey and wax. The two-day honey festival will feature beekeeping materials, different types of honey and various products made from bees and honey along with a demonstration of various honey recipes by renowned chef Vishnu Manohar at 12.30 pm.

Through Madh Mahotsav, programs will be organised on conservation and protection of bees, training of farmers, physical health and honey, description of experiences of people of Madhu village etc. Seminars will be organised on agriculture and beekeeping, quality honey and value added products on January 18, honey and health on January 19, Maharashtra's step towards honey revolution. 'Madhuban' is the honey brand of Khadi and Village Industries Board. This quality honey will be available here at a discounted rate of 20 percent.