Join the Honey Mission: PM Modi's message to youth

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the youth to take up honey production as he highlighted success of various farmers and increase in its export in recent years. He also said how the efforts of youngsters, startups and entrepreneurs have resulted in reduction of import of toys while their export from India has increased by more than six times in the recent years.
In his radio address to the nation, the PM said India is becoming a big honey producer as he mentioned the success stories of four bee farmers, including a B Tech pass out from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh who pursued this instead of a job.
“The country started campaigns like the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, farmers worked hard, and the sweetness of our honey started reaching across the world. There are still huge possibilities in this field. I would like our youth to join these opportunities and take advantage of them and realize new possibilities,” Modi said.
Official data showed honey production rose nearly 58% between 2013-14 and 2019-20, when it was pegged at 1.2 lakh tonnes, while exports more than doubled to almost 60,000 tonnes. This means nearly half the honey produced in the country is shipped out of the country. Natural honey exports were estimated at Rs 716 crore during the year 2020-21, Apeda said, with the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bangladesh and Canada being the top destinations.
On the import and export of toys, the PM said the number of toys coming from abroad to India is continuously decreasing. “Earlier, where toys worth more than Rs 3,000 crore used to come from outside, now their import has reduced by 70% and it is a matter of joy that during this period, India has exported toys worth more than Rs 2,600 crore to foreign countries, whereas earlier, only toys worth Rs 300-400 crore used to go out of India.”