Maha govt sweetens the deal for organic farmers

Want to buy organic jamun, palash, and karvi honey? The state forest department has extended a helping hand to the villagers of Maharashtra's hinterlands for branding and marketing their produce in cities like Mumbai and Pune.

This will act as a fresh source of livelihood for people residing in the remote Kandati Khore in Satara district, which is part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve's (STR) buffer area. These villagers, who lack access to modern amenities, depend on paddy farming to sustain themselves and are forced to migrate to cities to earn a living.

"These are very remote villages…the project, still in its initial phase, will ensure sustainable livelihoods," said V Clement Ben, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) and Project Director, STR.

The honey will be marketed by the Village Development Committees (VDCs) under the brand name 'Sahyadri honey'.

The project, under which villagers have been given honey collection boxes at subsidised rates, is being implemented under the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojana and villagers have already collected 1,600 kg honey. Some beneficiaries will be trained to operate the honey processing unit, which costs around Rs 5.50 lakh and may be installed in around two months in Kandat village.

The department is collaborating with Pune's Central Bee Research and Training Institute.

Dr Vinita Vyas, Deputy Director (wildlife), STR, said the honey processing unit was part of a larger effort to create livelihood options for villagers in the STR's buffer.

"The project will cover 13 villages in Mahabaleshwar taluka," said Yogesh Gavit, Range Forest Officer (RFO).

"Locals have been collecting and selling the raw honey to processing units in Mahabaleshwar for around Rs 400 per kg. Once the honey is processed, we expect it can be sold for around Rs 1,200 to 1,300, as it is organic," said Gavit, adding they were also in talks with a sports goods chain to sell the honey in its outlets.

Ben said initially, they would market the honey at the five gates of the STR and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Mangur, Dhebewadi, Koynanagar, Helwak, and Bamnoli) before scaling up production to cover malls and shops in cities like Mumbai and Pune. These protected areas are visited by around 90,000 tourists annually.

A HELPING HAND

• Maharashtra forest department will help the villagers of the state’s hinterlands for branding and marketing their produce — organic honey — in cities like Mumbai and Pune.
   
• The project, under which villagers have been given honey collection boxes at subsidised rates, is being implemented under the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojana.