Beekeepers stung by fall in honey prices

The beekeepers have been stung by a sharp fall in prices of honey. One of the reasons behind this dip is adulteration done by traders to compete in the market.
Small bee farmers said they had been forced to sell their produce for Rs 150 per kg.
As a result, the beekeepers have urged senior officials to come to their rescue and check malpractices, which paralyse functioning of small apiary units.
Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh Boparai said Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi assured him to probe the matter. “Having heard woes of beekeepers registered with the Madhu Kranti Bee Farmers’ Welfare Society, I met the Food Minister and requested him to impress upon the authorities concerned to check the supply of adulterated honey, which is being sold in the market at lower prices,” said Boparai.
“Some beekeepers showed their inability to continue with the profession. They said no steps are being taken to check unhealthy competition and adulteration,” said the MP.
The beekeepers added that they hadn’t made enough profits, but honey industry was flourishing.
Boparai informed the Food Minister that the government records showed almost double production of natural honey than actual.
“While the actual production of natural honey is around 50,000 tonnes in India, the authorities showed double produce,” the MP told Joshi, apprehending that the wide gap was due to circulation of spurious honey, which has high amount of corn and other syrups.