Complete Guide To Starting the Sweet Honey Farming Business

The business world is quite diverse, filled with innumerable explored and unexplored business options that can greatly benefit you. Starting from the simple stationery or grocery store to running a complex multi-discipline business, there are truly hundreds of options in between for you to select.

But what makes this selection process crucial. It helps you know which niche suits the best for you. One such upcoming and amazing niche is the honey farming business. With people becoming more health-conscious and the demand for natural sweeteners increasing, this is a great business plan to move ahead with.

So let us explore the details of the bee farming business plan for you. Also, let us understand and have a basic idea about Honey bee farming profit in India.

Understanding Honey Farming And Its Advantages

Beekeeping, also known as apiculture, keeps bee colonies or hives to harvest honey or other economic goods from them. Apiculture has long been utilized as an element of agriculture in India. 

Keeping a beehive does not need a large investment of money or work. It doesn’t even need fertile ground. Furthermore, it benefits farmers because many plants and crops rely on bees for pollination. 

Honey and other bee farm products such as beeswax, royal jelly, and bee venom have a great commercial value and offer superior supplement farmers’ income. The main advantages of the honey farming business are as follows:

• It benefits the environment.
• It benefits the economy.
• It’s an enthralling subject to research.
• It teaches children valuable lessons.
• It can foster a strong feeling of community.
• It is calming and can help to relieve tension.
• Pollination process of garden crops and flowers is improved.
• Bees can fit into any space.
• Bees create a wide range of products.
• Honey has medicinal properties.
• They work for a living.
• Bees are not expensive.
• You could be eligible for tax relief.

Involving multiple benefits and the need for deep understanding, the bee farming business plan can also bring in profitability and fertility. But what kind of bee do you need? Let us have a detailed look at the top types of bees and the bee colony formation.

See Also: Fish Farming Business Plan: Quick Tips For Fishery Business In India

All About Bees For Honey Farming

There are over 20,000 different species of bees globally, but only seven of them are honey bees. We focus on only five big honeybees in India renowned for their commercial importance.

Types Of Bees

As we know, there are hundreds of bees available globally. When it comes to the honey farming business, these are the top types of bees that you can use:

➔ The Rock Bee

These gorgeous Himalayan subspecies are found throughout India in sub-mountainous and rocky locations. Rock bees are both vicious and difficult to raise. They build a single comb in an exposed space around 6 feet tall and 3 feet deep (cells made by bees from beeswax). They have the ability to make around 36 kg of honey per comb each year.

➔ The European or Italian Bee

European or Italian bees form parallel combs in the same way as Indian bees do. Furthermore, except for rock bees, they are larger than any other honeybees. You brought them from European countries (Italy). The average honey composition per colony is roughly 25-40 kg every year.

➔ The Little Bee

These bees build solitary vertical combs. They also make combs in the open palm dimension in support branches, shrubberies, caves, empty cases, constructions, and so on. Every year, each hive produces about half a kilogram of honey.

➔ The Indian Hive Bee

They are considered the tamed kind since they do not produce a single comb. Alternatively, they produce distinct parallel combs each year with a typical honey output of 6 to 8 kg for each colony. Furthermore, these honey bees are larger than small bees. They are, however, not as large as European or Italian bees. They are known to be the local bees in India and Asia.

➔ Dammar Bee or Stingless Bee

Stingless bees are smaller in size than honey bees and play an important role in pollinating various food crops. Although the annual honey output per hive is just 100 gms, you may tame them.

But what should be the combination of the Queen Bee, Drone Bees, Worker Bees in your hive? 

Queen Bee, Drone Bees, Worker Bees

The Honey bee farming profit in India depends on when you have the right structure in hand. So, here are the aspects of these three types of members:

• The queen is the bee colony’s reproductive female. Her primary job is to lay eggs for her hive. Depending on food availability, a queen can lay up to 1000 to 1500 eggs in a single day.
• Drone bees are the hive’s males in charge of mating with the queen. The sad part is that the drone bee dies after mating with the queen. Drone bees are often heavier or bulkier than queen or worker bees.
• Worker bees are ones that constitute the majority of the hive’s population. They are not capable of producing eggs under normal settings. The quantity of worker bees determines the success of the honey bee farm.

But what equipment is necessary for success?

See Also: Starting Aloe Vera Farming Business – Make Huge Profits

Equipment Required For Honey Farming Business

Once you have selected the bees, you need to have the following equipment to make the business a success.

➔ Hives

The term “hive” refers to the man-made structure used by beekeepers to maintain honey bees. It is often constructed of wood. But you can make it with polystyrene, plastic, or any other material. The standard and conventional dimensions for a deep hive body are approximately 19 7/8′′ long, 16 1/4′′ broad, and 9 5/8′′ tall.

➔ Frames

The frame is rectangular. It is stuck in a hive-like filing phase. Within these frames, honey bees will build their comb. It is the ideal location for bees to manufacture honey, lay eggs, and live their lives continually preparing for winter.

➔ Bee Suit

A broad selection of bee costumes is available in the beekeepers market at different prices. When working with honey bees, white or tan clothes are preferable. Several colors are also OK; however, honey bees are put off by soft fabrics, dark colors, and animal fiber clothes.

➔ Bee veil

The bee veil is the most important piece of equipment for beekeepers. They wear it over their heads to protect their faces and necks from bee stings while collecting honey or inspecting the hive. A beekeeper is required to wear a bee veil during every encounter with the bee to protect his face and neck from stings.

➔ Gloves

Gloves are regarded as essential and sensible beekeeping equipment. It protects your hands from bee stings. You should never ever touch the hive without the pepper set of gloves. As a result, while purchasing gloves, be certain they are constructed of a robust material.

➔ Hive Tool

A hive tool is a necessary, reasonably priced, versatile instrument for managing and inspecting apiaries. It comes in a variety of styles and varieties. After the beekeeping veil and bee, the smoker is regarded as the third most important tool for beekeepers in India.

➔ Shoes

Shoes are also an important part of beekeeping. Before digging the hive, you must cover yourself completely from head to toe. As a result, the beekeeper must wear boots that fit snugly around the leg, are comfortable enough to tuck into the bee suit, and are made of sturdy material with strong bottoms.

➔ Smoker

A bee smoker is one of the most important parts of a beekeeper’s toolkit. If there is no smoker, beekeepers will be required to face various stings during a hive inspection. When the beekeeper is required to operate in the hive, these prepared artificial smokes are used to quiet the bees. This persuades honey bees to leave their space for better assistance and without harm.

➔ Queen Catcher

A queen catcher is a vital and helpful instrument used to separate the queen from the hive for a short period.

➔ Feeders

A feeder is a vessel or instrument used by beekeepers to provide pollen, honey, or replacements such as a sugar-water fusion to bees making honey in a colony. During the seasons when plants are blossoming or gardens are full of greens, your honey bees will need you to help them by increasing their food supply.

➔ Bee Brush

To separate the bees from the honey frames of the hives, bee brushes are utilized. After emptying the frame, swing it to unstick most of the bees, and then carefully brush over the remaining honey bees from the frame with the bee brush.

Now you have all the knowledge in your hand, so let us start planning.

Planning The Honey Farming Business In India

So, if you are now willing to design the bee farming business plan, here are the broad steps to be followed:

1. Business plan designing

The first thing is to design the plan on paper. Select the right location, kind of bees, and other aspects deemed necessary for the business’s success. Knowing about the various licensing needs is also one crucial aspect of planning. 

2. Set the location with tools

Now, start looking for a safe and sound location to start the honey farming business. Start with collecting the tools required. Ensure to have proper access to details that will make the business a great success. 

3. Register

Once you have the plan in your hand, you can now register your business with the local and central authorities. For the same, contact your local government. Now your bee business is all set to move ahead with success.

The Honey Farming Business needs licenses, bank accounts, registrations, and other resources to get started. This is the perfect support system to move ahead for success. The requirement of the financial resources is equally important. 

4. Financing and marketing

It is now time to advertise and promote it properly. It is very important to make your enterprise a successful choice with various possibilities to supplement your income. Ensure to have the right mix of marketing strategies for better reach. Having cash in hand is also important. A small-scale business will require INR 50-80k to start and INR 1-1.5 lac to run.

Pricing issues are critical and should be addressed at this time. Before determining the pricing, evaluate the market, your investment, and your profit margins.

5. Earn and expand

Honey bee farming profit in India is not limited. You can start with just honey and move ahead with additional products or, rather say, by-products to earn better and greater.

Five Freedoms Of Honey Bees To Take Care Of

According to the National Bee Board of India, it is must that all beekeepers must protect the five freedoms of honey bees. These are the ones that ensure your bees are in good health and have the highest level of wellbeing. They are:

• Freedom concerning discomfort refers to proper Shelter for bees.
• Freedom from Hunger and Thirst focuses on the Proper arrangement of food and water for the bees.
• Freedom concerning expressing normal behavior focuses on the concept that bees must have space for their normal behavior or exercises.
• Freedom from injury, pain and disease emphasizes that you must give bees adequate medical care.
• Freedom from distress and fear suggests that bees must attain love and understanding from the beekeepers.

Conclusion

The honey farming Business in India is one with great potential for success and high demand. Indeed, it is a business that has made it possible for various people to start their entrepreneurial journey and for many farmers or orchid owners to have an additional source of income. 

Due to honey’s various additional benefits, mainly those linked to the medical line, the demand is ever-increasing without a break or block. After your first harvest, evaluate your beekeeping operation, which should be an integral part of the bee farming business plan.

Examine the health of the bees and hives regularly on time. Collaborate with your beekeepers’ association to improve hive management procedures. Make sure to compare your costs to your honey and beeswax earnings. Determine whether you need to increase your bee supply or add new equipments to accommodate future market growth.

So, with these amazing tips and information, get ready to start your Honey bee farming profit in India and move ahead towards infinite success.