Shimla, Oct. 17 -- Growing recognition of honey's health benefits has led to the rise in the number of bee colonies globally stressing on the importance of ensuring traceability of honey to maintain its credibility and consumer trust. This was said by horticulture commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and mission director, National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM), Government of India, Prabhat Kumar while speaking at the two-day state-level seminar on beekeeping, funded by the National Bee Board (NBB). The seminar was organised by the Department of Entomology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, and witnessed participation of around 250 farmers and beekeepers representing all districts of Himachal Pradesh. Kumar said, "In India, honey production has increased significantly- from 76 metric tonnes in 2013 to 1.52 lakh metric tonnes at present." He added that under the Bee Development Committee, seven honey testing laboratories have been established across the country to ensure quality standards. Kumar underlined the potential of integrating artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and machine learning (ML) technologies in beekeeping for improved productivity and traceability. Urging farmers to register themselves and their colonies on the Madhu Kranti Portal, Kumar elaborated on the government's institutional mechanisms in beekeeping, where farmer producer organisations (FPOs) collectively market honey. So far, 59 such institutions have been established nationwide. Addressing challenges in honey marketing, he encouraged beekeepers to focus on developing value-added products and by-products of honey. He also called for greater awareness of colony collapse disorder and the harmful impact of excessive chemical use on bee foraging, navigation, and reproduction. He also pointed out the immense opportunities for queen breeding in the country. Commending the university's efforts in horticultural and forestry education, he urged scientists and universities to educate school children about the ecological services provided by bees and to motivate youth to become part of the knowledge-driven economy. Speaking on the occasion, UHF Nauni vice-chancellor Rajeshwar Singh Chandel said, "We have all realised the importance of beekeeping and the invaluable service bees provide in maintaining ecological balance." He expressed concern over the use of syrup-based honey and stressed the need for well-equipped laboratories to test honey quality. Chandel called for research to protect beekeepers from post-production market fluctuations and emphasised collective marketing and branding of honey using the university's facilities. He encouraged farmers to work closely with the university's research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras for regular interaction and feedback. He also advised beekeepers to rear local species like apis cerana, which are well adapted to regional conditions and important for conservation. The university is currently implementing a project titled "Honey and other hive products production model for sustainable high-hill beekeeping in Himachal Pradesh", funded by the National Bee Board. Under this project, mud hives have been constructed at five research centres of the university for conserving apis cerana with demonstrations and hands-on training provided to farmers, orchardists and trainees across various locations....