Setting up of a honey testing laboratory at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the project of setting up of a honey testing laboratory at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi.
Inaugurating the project to establish a regional honey quality testing laboratory at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) for quality testing of honey and other products of beekeeping under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, Union Minister Tomar said, “When farmers used to get a bag of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer for Rs. 1200, its actual price was Rs. 1700. The government used to pay the remaining Rs. 500. Due to sudden increase in the prices of phosphoric acid, ammonia, etc. at the international level, the price of DAP increased and staggered at Rs 2400. Had the government been providing a subsidy of just Rs. 500 per bag in such situation, it would have been available for the farmers for Rs. 1900 per bag. But, Prime Minister instructed that our farmers should not be burdened by a single rupee. So, now the Centre has decided to maintain the price of DAP at Rs. 1200 by granting a support of Rs. 700 as a subsidy of more than 140 per cent.”
Aiming at the development of this sector, 13 mini / satellite district level laboratories for honey and other products of beekeeping and projects related to online registration and development of traceability sources of honey and other products and other important projects have also been approved. The Madhu Kranti portal for online registration and traceability system to track the source of honey and other bee products has also been launched two months ago.