New Delhi, Dec 28 : Beekeeping, the practice of managing honeybee colonies in man-made hives for honey and wax is turning out to be good source of employment as well as income-generation opportunity for the unemployed youth in Haryana's Nuh district.

Many youths, devoid of education and adequate skills for white collar jobs, are turning to the beekeeping business.

With adequate training and government assistance, they are getting engaged in the business, leading to their self-sustenance and also adding to the honey output.

District Horticulture Officer Abdul Razzaq, speaking to IANS, explained how beekeeping can become a good source of income for unemployed youth and also how the landless farmers can benefit from the horticulture department's scheme.

Razzaq told that 13 training centres have been opened across the state, including institutions like KVK Mandkola and KVK Bhupani, where accommodation, food, and transportation are provided free of cost to the youth participating in this five-day training programme.

"Assistance with bank loans is also available after the training. Each young person is given 50 wooden boxes, with an 85 per cent subsidy provided by the department. The farmer only has to pay Rs 21,600," he added.

Those interested can receive the boxes by going to Ramnagar with their Family ID, Aadhaar card, and training certificate.

Each box contains eight to 10 frames.

The Horticulture department also provides assistance of nearly Rs 85,000 for this.

He mentioned that nearly 50 kg of honey is produced from one box a year.

Further sharing information about current output, District Horticulture Officer Razzaq told that five farmers in the district have nearly 800 beekeeping boxes, producing 26,000 kg of honey annually.

He said that if the honey is of good quality and sells for more than 110 rupees per kilogram in the market, the youth engaged in beekeeping can sell it.

If they don't find a buyer, they can pack it in drums and buckets and take it to Ramnagar, where they are paid Rs 110 per kg.

"Unemployed youth can easily earn nearly 3 lakh rupees per year from beekeeping," he opined.

/IANS