AINP ON VPM- TRAINING PROGRAM ON SCIENTIFIC BEE KEEPING FROM 27.01.2025 TO 01.02.2025

The All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management (AINP-VPM) unit of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTAU), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, in collaboration with the National Bee Board and the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, successfully inaugurated a seven-day training program on Scientific Beekeeping on 27.01.2025 at AINP-VPM, Rajendranagar. The program commenced with the welcome address by Dr. V. Sunitha, Scientist and Principal Investigator of the Honeybee Project. A total of 25 participants, including organic farmers, business professionals, students, and unemployed youth, enrolled for the seven days training. During the inaugural session, Dr. P. Rajanikanth, Principal Scientist and Head of AINP-VPM, outlined the objectives of the project and the training program, emphasizing its focus on Scientific Beekeeping. Dr. T. Shasikala, Associate Director of Research for the Southern Telangana Zone, highlighted the income-generating potential of beekeeping and its business opportunities. Dr. K. Vijayalakshmi, Senior Professor and University Head of the Department of Entomology at the College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, underscored the critical role of honeybees in crop pollination. The Chief Guest of the programme, Dr. P. Raghurami Reddy, Director of Research at PJTAU, emphasized the importance of conserving honeybees and promoting their byproducts. He also recommended that the training program should focus more on practical sessions rather than theoretical discussions to help particpants to take up it as an enterprise. He highlighted the significance of effective marketing strategies in beekeeping and recommended incorporating lectures from successful beekeepers from Telangana into the program. He further suggested including success stories and adopting a "seeing-is-believing" approach to demonstrate practical beekeeping technologies. Dr. Reddy encouraged the trainees and congratulated the AINP-VPM team for organizing such a valuable training initiative.