Get a Buzz at the ‘Honey Mela’ – Kadri Park Feb 11-12
Mangaluru: With the weather warming up, what better way to escape the heat than checking out a buzz-worthy new exhibition at the 2-day “Honey Exhibition ( Honey Mela) ” during the weekend, Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 Feb at Kadri park organized by Department of Horticulture. Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Mangalore Press Club, H R Yogesh, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Dept; Mangaluru said, ” Apiculture (technical term for beekeeping) is picking up in the city shedding its image as a rural-based farm activity, according to the Department of Horticulture. Even as Kadri Park is getting ready for a two-day honey and organic Mela from Saturday, last year’s honey mela at the same venue prompted 50 persons to opt for Apiculture within the city”
Speaking further he said, “Presently seventy five persons from the city have approached the department to train them in apiculture. It required about Rs 3,000 to keep a box with a colony of bees. Its regular maintenance was required to protect the colony form Thai Saacbrood, a viral disease. Application of turmeric powder on the box after removing dead bees helped in preventing the viral disease. Honeybees played a pivotal role in cross pollination and increase in production”.
During the 2-day Honey Mela, there would be a display of live honeybee colonies of at least five species which were not wild ones. Different equipment used in apiculture and honey products would be displayed. There would be a demonstration and sale of beverages made using honey and exhibition and sale of medicines made using honey. The Department of AYUSH would provide information on the uses and medicinal values of honey. Honey would also be available for sale. In the organic section, there would be an exhibition and sale of different inputs used in organic farming and there would be sale of vegetable seeds. Participants would be trained on how to get organic certification. Different groups would display organic products and sell them.
The exhibition will be inaugurated by Minister Ramanath Rai on Saturday,11 Feb at 11.30 am, along with minister UT Khader, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA’s JR Lobo and Moideen Bava, MLC Ivan D’Souza, Capt Ganesh Karnik, among many other eminent persons.
And the good part is that it is FREE ENTRY for the Mela. Also there will be training sessions for those interested in apiculture, and the people in the district could take up apiculture as subsidiary activity to get additional income. The department will subsidy for the purchase of bee boxes and colonies only in rural areas but not in the city.