Anuj Kumar Verma
Farmers and beekeepers across Jammu and Kashmir are reporting a sharp decline in honeybee populations, a trend they link to heavy and often indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides in orchards and fields.
At the same time, erratic weather—excessive rain, hailstorms, unseasonal cold and rising temperatures—is disrupting flowering and nectar flow, adding stress to already weakened colonies.
High mortality of eggs and adult bees due to small hive beetle (SHB) infestation (Aethina tumida) is compounding the crisis; scientists have yet to find a fully trustworthy treatment to combat this destructive parasitic pest.
“Transport eats our profits”: Beekeepers demand subsidy and buffer zones Hari Prasad said, adding that transport costs are prohibitively high and “eat into most of his earnings,” and is urging the J&K government to introduce a transport subsidy for migratory beekeepers.
Hari Prasad, further, said that although mustard honey accounts for the bulk of production and exports, varieties such as Sulai, acacia, multiflora and jamun are produced in smaller quantities but command higher prices.
“Rural beekeepers need dedicated marketing support to compete with big companies,” said Hari Prasad, demanding that the government establish agrochemical-free buffer zones around flowering crops and vegetable belts to protect pollinators and sustain beekeeping livelihoods.
Bees are the main pollinators for apple, cherry, almond and many vegetable crops in Kashmir, and economic valuations place the annual value of pollination services for the valley’s apple orchards at roughly ₹12,656 crore, with managed pollination raising yields by about 19% and improving fruit quality.
Beekeepers said that the problem is compounded during the annual winter migration of hives from J&K to warmer plains.
“Many colonies die in transit or soon after because of abrupt weather changes, long journeys and exposure to pesticide residues in wax and nectar,” beekeepers said.
The Kashmir Valley has over 2,100 registered beekeepers and annual honey production of more than 1,200 metric tonnes, with strong price premiums for local acacia and Sulai honey; in bad years, many beekeepers report 70–90% drops in output, implying losses running into several crore rupees for the valley alone.
In districts like Ramban, Udhampur and Kishtwar, where beekeeping is a key source of supplementary income for thousands of rural families, a 50–80% fall in honey output translates into losses of thousands of rupees per household, with some small operators barely breaking even after migration and input costs.
Despite these stresses, honey from the region remains in high demand because of its perceived purity and distinct mountain flora. Ramban’s Sulai honey, produced from the wild Sulai (Plectranthus rugosus) blossom in the Banihal and surrounding high‑altitude areas, was granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023 and is described as amber to dark with a strong herbal‑floral flavour and high antioxidant value.
Acacia honey from Banihal and parts of the Valley is light and delicate, while multiflora or wild‑flora honeys from Udhampur, Poonch and the Jammu foothills are bolder and more complex. Before wider publicity, Sulai honey was selling at around ₹800–1,200 per kg; after the GI tag and national attention, prices have been reported to climb toward ₹2,000 per kg, nearly double many plain‑land varieties.
Akhtar Wani of Baramulla, Managing Director of Meraksahib FPC Ltd Wagura, has emerged as a key figure in promoting honey beekeeping across the region, extending technical support to establish two additional farmer producer companies, Zarka Honey FPC Ltd in Kupwara and Warmul Honey Farmers Federation Ltd in Baramulla.
According to him, members of Meraksahib FPC collectively maintain around 1,000 bee colonies, while Zarka Honey FPC manages approximately 2,000 boxes and farmers under Warmul Honey Farmers Federation operate nearly 4,000 boxes.
During winter, beekeepers migrate their colonies to Jammu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, yet they continue to face the persistent threat of exposure to high levels of chemical pesticides and fungicides, not only in the Kashmir valley but also in other migratory zones. High transport costs eat out the major portion of profits of the beekeepers, and Akhtar, too, is demanding a government transport subsidy.
He has also stressed the urgent need for the J&K government to designate agrochemical-free flowering zones to safeguard pollinators, alongside generating greater awareness among beekeepers about the PMFME scheme to encourage the setup of small honey processing units.
Rahul Rathore, a honeybee keeper from Batote with seven years of experience in the sector, said his once-thriving operation has been pushed to the brink by a combination of environmental stressors and policy gaps.
He began with around 350 bee colonies that yielded strong honey production, but annual winter migration to Rajasthan exposed the hives to intensive chemical pesticide spraying in agricultural fields, which he blames for a sharp rise in bee mortality.
Beekeepers under the Alfla Farmers Producers Company (FPO) in Banihal are demanding a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for honey as excessive agrochemical spraying, disease and erratic weather drive down colony strength and output. CEO Mushtaq Ahmad said the FPO, with about 160 members and 1,700 colonies, initially saw its colonies drop to 1,000 after its 2018 launch, while annual production of around 60 metric tonnes once fetched Rs 800–1,600 depending on quality. Colonies migrating from Ramban to Srinagar, Jammu, Rajasthan and Punjab face high mortality from pesticide exposure, beetle infestations and unstable weather, prompting calls for MSP and tighter regulation of sprays during flowering to protect livelihoods and pollination.
