A social science post-graduate, K Chinnababu, has quit his job as a voluntary teacher with the State government, has made foray into apiculture. Just a few years after investing his expertise in apiculture, Mr. Chinababu is reaping profits and even helping many debt-ridden farmers of the region to take up apiculture. “I have an 80-honeybee box unit at my home and around 500 regular customers visit my home to buy the pure natural honey. The guaranteed monthly income on the small unit is Rs 30,000,” said Chittibabu. However, the honey produce is expected between November and April in Krishna district due to its climatic conditions.
The 48-year-old farmer from Anandapuram hamlet in Vuyyuru mandal has chosen apiculture to overcome the family’s financial constraints a few years ago.
He arranged some boxes with hives in gardens and other strategic places to attract the honey bees. Once the bees set the boxes as their home, they are taken to his unit during the night time. The bees will extract honey from its sources within the radius of three km and develop the hive in the box into a honey hive within a week.
“Bees collect and place one kg of honey in each box every week. One kg honey fetches Rs. 300. There is no problem in marketing the product,” told Mr. Chinnababu to The Hindu . The farmer, earned expertise in the apiculture and has also been credited with introducing the farming method to many debit ridden farmers of the region to help them out from their crisis. “A box of honey hive with bees will be sold at Rs 4,500 to the new farmer to start a unit. The price includes the technical support and guidance till the farmer mastered in managing his own unit,” said Mr Chinnababu, who is training farmers with the support of NABARD and Tribal Development Authorities. “Regular watch and patience to manage the unit is the only investment required to reap profits. This is a boon for farmers, who own small holdings of land,” he said.
