MAGURA, Jan 17: Integrated mustard cultivation and honey collection by bee keeping is gaining popularity in Magura. Magura honey collectors expect Tk 20 million this season.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Magura sources informed, this season a total of 10,050 hectares land have been brought under mustard cultivation in the district.
At the same time honey collection by bee keeping basing the mustard field is going on in the district. Mainly African Mali Fray bee is being used in this integrated honey collection and mustard cultivation.
The bee is kept into box in a mustard field. During daylight bees are freed in the mustard field. They collect honey from mustard flower and come back to the box. Then bees are collected from the box.
This year about 5400 bee boxes have been installed in 85 bee firms of the district. About 500 families in the district are now involved in honey collection from mustard by bee keeping. About 100 tonnes honey worth Tk 20 million is expected to be collected in the district this season.
Monjur Rahman of village Moghi under Magura Sadar upazila said, this season I have brought my five bighas of land under mustard cultivation and I have installed 200 bee boxes in the mustard field. I am expecting about 100 maund honey of Tk 0.8 million.
Mustafa Jaorder of village Vabonhati under Magura Sadar upazila said, by keeping bee in mustard field we not only can collect honey, bees also help to increase mustard production. We have witnessed production of mustard in integrated cultivation of bee keeping, mustard cultivation is higher compared to that in single mustard cultivation. Bee keeping can create huge employment opportunity if interested youths are provided with loan support on small interest.
Magura DAE official Ruhul Amin said, this year we have trained up about 450 male and female of the district in 12 batch to boost honey collection by bee keeping in mustard field.
Most of the trained persons are now involved in honey collecting by bee keeping. Integrated honey collection by bee keeping and mustard cultivation is gaining popularity in Magura.
Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Magura official Baharul Islam said, generally we sanction agriculture loan. But we are yet to sanction loan specifically for honey collection by bee keeping. However, I shall send proposal to my superior authority in this regard.
