Solan
A two-day training programme on ‘Recent Technologies in Apiculture’ for 14 progressive beekeepers from Karnali Province of Nepal concluded at the Directorate of Extension Education, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni. The valedictory function was graced by Vice Chancellor Dr. HS Baweja as the Chief Guest.
In his address, Dr. Baweja highlighted the deep-rooted Indo-Nepal friendship and said that this relationship can further expand into collaborative learning in agriculture and allied sectors. He added that the university has been a strategic partner in providing training to farmers and agriculture professionals from Nepal. Dr. Baweja also spoke about various bee products and their importance in human health. He laid special emphasis on the production of royal jelly, pollen and artificial queen rearing. Appreciating the efforts of the Directorate of Extension Education, he commended the focus on providing greater field exposure to the participants during the training programme.
Participants from Nepal, Hari Prashad Paudel and Lila Ram Dhakal, shared their views on the relevance of the training and said that it had exposed them to new developments and modern techniques in the field of beekeeping. The participants thanked the university for the well-designed course schedule and expressed their delight at learning about the role of bumble bees as pollinators. Tika Ram Thapa, President of the Honey Producer Association, Karnali, said that the training had been a valuable learning experience for them and that they would further share this knowledge with other beekeepers in their region. He also expressed his desire to visit the university again for longer-duration training programmes and to send more farmers for training in the future.
Earlier, Dr. DP Sharma informed the audience about the importance of Karnali Province in the horticulture sector of Nepal and the vast scope of beekeeping in the region as well as in Nepal in general. He said that the training programme focused on practical hands-on exposure so that participants could easily implement the newly acquired knowledge in their field activities.
Training Coordinator Dr. Ajay Sharma apprised the gathering that the training programme was sponsored by the Honey Producer Association, Karnali, Nepal. The resource persons included faculty members from the Department of Entomology along with eminent beekeeping scientist Dr. Raj Kumar Thakur. Dr. Thakur is a retired Head of the Department of Entomology from the university and has also served as Head, Dabur Nepal Pvt. along with Network Coordinator of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Honey Bees and Pollinators.
The concluding session was also attended by Comptroller Prem Sagar Kaushal along with Dr. Piyush Mehta, Dr. Dinesh Sharma, Dr. Kiran Thakur and the staff of the Directorate of Extension Education.
