Description of the place

Micro Small-scale and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in the Indian economy by generating sustainable employment and livelihood promotion of the targeted stakeholders. Government of India has adopted Cluster Development Approach towards the development of village traditional industries in different parts of the country. The cluster development program is an innovative concept, which targets MSMEs clusters with the purpose of upgrading their capacities to respond to the challenges created by increasing the liberalization of the Indian economy.

India has a rich tradition in traditional industries. The eco-friendly products of traditional industries not only have great potential for growth in production and export but can also lead to widespread generation of employment opportunities in the rural areas of the country. With a view to making the traditional industries more productive and competitive and facilitating their sustainable development, with a view to revitalizing the Khadi & Village Industries(KVI) sector, the GOI, in assistance with the of Asian Development Bank (ADB) under Khadi Reform & Development Programme(KRDP) which inter alia aimed at development of 5 thrust areas of traditional village industries such as herbal products, honey , handmade paper, leather and agro based industries through a cluster based approach with the following objectives:

  to develop clusters of traditional industries in various parts of the country over a period of five years commencing 2005-06

  to make traditional industries more competitive with more market-driven, productive, profitable and sustained employment for traditional industry artisans and rural entrepreneurs;

  to develop clusters of traditional industries in various parts of the country over a period of five years commencing 2005-06

  to strengthen the local governance systems of industry clusters, with the active participation of the local stakeholders, so that they are enabled to undertake development initiatives by themselves; and

  to build up innovated and traditional skills, improved technologies, advanced processes, market intelligence and new models of public-private partnerships, so as to gradually replicate similar models of cluster-based regenerated traditional industries.

Given the background, the Diagnostic Study of the Sundarban Honey beekeeping Cluster, West Bengal was taken up to find out the baseline information about the artisans, the available facilities in the cluster, the potential stakeholder and assess the potential for future growth and development of the artisan’s work and life.

The Sundarban Beekeeping Cluster is located in Sunderban area covering six blocks such Pathar Pratima, Kultoli, Mathurapur II, Namkhanna, Gosaba and Jaynagar II. The cluster has a radius of about 40 kilometres. However, as proposed initially the cluster will be limited to Pathar Pratima and Kultoli blocks that cover about 12 villages which are mostly the tribal villages. In the later phase the whole area covered under this program. The places are located in Sundarban islands covered with rivers and dense forest. The nearby mangrove forest is rich with abundant flora and fauna, herbs, shrubs, plants and trees. The geographical location of the place and climatic condition make it fit for breeding of natural honeybees.

As per a survey conducted by Vivekananda Institute of Biotechnology about 1000 traditional tribal bee hunters are presently engaged in the honey collection and related activities. Besides collection of honey, the collections of other minor forest produces and catching of fish and crab add to their family income. The scope for the apiary honey is also immense though presently whoever does it does not get proper support to make it a meaningful venture.

Out of 1000 hunters, 616 most needy bee hunters belonging to tribal, SC and minority communities have been selected for the initial phase of intervention.

Most of the bee hunters belong to tribal community and primarily depend on the river and forest resources for the sustenance of their livelihood. The tribal people mainly collect honey form the interior forests and sale the raw honey directly to the forest department and in local markets / Hats. Often they face the tigers and forest wild animals during their expedition to the forest.

However, they lack the scientific skills of honey collection, which often results in damage of beehives, bees. Moreover, due to lack of proper knowledge and skills of honey processing, place for storage etc they sale out the honey immediately at very cheaper price. While the major portion of the collected honey goes to forest department, the buyers in the local markets are the agents of exporters or big business men who collect honey in huge quantity and in turn process it elsewhere and sale at higher price which is around 175 kg. However, the price offered by forest department seems to be very low at Rs.100/ from this year. Since it is a predetermined condition based on which a hunter is given permit to enter into forest, the poor hunters do not have any other way. Unfortunately the forest department does not have any processing plant and they simply filter the raw honey and sale in the market under the brand name of “Mouban”. In the entire process of honey collection to marketing the worst sufferers are the honey hunters who at the cost of their life dare to venture into forests and face the monopoly raj of forest department and the traders who determine the price. It would be heart breaking to hear the melancholic story of families who have lost their son, daughter, wife and husbands fighting Royal Bengal tigers in the forests while collecting honey.

The poor and needy hunters lack business skills and the entrepreneurial ability to sustain the trading activity on a commercial basis. The innocence, illiteracy and ignorance of tribal and other hunters are some of the reasons for their lack of bargaining capacity. Therefore, the individual hunters are in need of training in improved technology, equipments, preparation of value added products etc on a continuous basis. They also need Exposure Visit to change their mindset, get new ideas and adopt new practices for getting higher income. Skill up-gradation training, established marketing channels, scientific and hygienic methods of honey collection and processing, quality-testing facilities for honey, new machinery support services etc are some of the services that are needed for the development of the cluster. Given the organized inputs, the economic return to the hunters, better opportunities for apiary honey would be more and they would be a part of the organized system that can sustain their livelihood.