A three-day beekeeping training programme was successfully conducted by the AICRP on Honey Bees and Pollinators, Vellayani Centre of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), under the Tribal Sub Plan. The event, held from March 17 to 19 at the Range Forest Office in Palode, was organized with financial support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi.
The training aimed to promote scientific apiculture and biodiversity conservation, while providing a sustainable livelihood option for the tribal communities of the region. The programme focused on enabling participants to generate income through beekeeping and hive-based value-added products.
Mr. L. Sudheesh Kumar, Forest Range Officer, Palode, inaugurated the training. In the valedictory session, Mr. Anil Antony IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Trivandrum Forest Division, distributed certificates to the participants, while Dr. Shalini Pillai, Associate Director of Research, RARS (Southern Zone), Vellayani, handed over bee colonies.
As part of the initiative, thirty beneficiaries from various tribal settlements in the Palode forest range received Indian bee colonies, hives, and beekeeping equipment, empowering them to begin their journey in scientific apiculture.
