PROJECT PROPOSAL

CONCEPT NOTE
RESOURCE POOR RURAL WOMEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT BY BEEKEEPING

Background
Beekeeping is an age-old forest based tradition in India.. Of late it has been recognized that beekeeping has great potential to
develop as a prime agriculture, horticulture and forest based industry. India has a potential to produce 150 million colonies and
currently we do not have even half a million. Ninety percent of the potential remains untapped. Honey production is a lucrative
business that generates employment and it is considered as a low-investment profit-giving venture. Several natural plant species
provide nectar and pollen to honey bees. The raw material for production of honey is available free from nature. Beehives neither
demand additional land space nor do they compete with agriculture, instead the presence of beehives will augment the crop yields due
to increased pollination.
Women in rural areas have occupied the lowest rank in the social hierarchy who are land less and form the major work force in
agriculture and are getting seasonal employment. If they are properly trained they can effectively take up employment and income
generating activities in rural areas which are not only useful for their own development but also have beneficial effects to the society
at large. As the empowerment of SC and ST women in rural areas is gaining momentum, it is important to train and encourage them
to practice and maintain beekeeping through self help and participatory approach.

The present project envisages introducing beekeeping as an income generating activity in the potential areas of Mysore and
Chamarajanagar districts and capacity building in these areas with the following objectives. The beneficiaries are the SC/ST rural
women of the above said districts in Karnataka.

OBJECTIVES:
1. Enlighten SC/ST rural women about modern beekeeping through intensive extension programmes and Capacity building at
village level through intensive training programme.
 2. Supply the critical inputs like beehive, smoker, honey extractor, face veil, comb foundation sheets and a portable beehive stand
to each of the SC and ST women who complete the training.
3. Honey extraction, processing, packing and development of market linkage involving Sthree Shakthi groups.
o Analyze the impact of beekeeping on the social capital and the empowerment of SC/ST rural population, on their
nutritional status, employment, income generation and also the impact on ecology.
OUTCOMES
1. It creates awareness to rural women about modern scientific method of bee-
Keeping
2 It facilitates the trained rural women to establish the beehives for income
generation.
2. Helps in the production of quality honey and to get remunerative prices through proper marketing
3. To quantify the socio-economic benefits accrued to the women beneficiaries by beekeeping.

WORK PLAN

The project will be implemented in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts. These districts will be purposively selected since there is
natural fauna and flora available for honey production and the traditional bee keeping is not being practiced. The project will be
implemented by the Agricultural College, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore supported by the technical service centers of Department of
Apiculture, Agricultural Economics Agricultural Marketing and Business Management and the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Besides, the self help groups, Non Governmental organizations, Khadi and village industries commission, Raitha Samparka Kendras
of the State Department of Agriculture will help in selection of beneficiaries and also to take up necessary followup.The target group
will be Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe women from the selected villages of Mysore, and Chamarajanagar districts in Karnataka
blessed with abundant flora. The offices of the Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Training Centers, Raitha Samparka Kendras,
krishi Vignana Kendras and many education institutions are located in the project area. Villages will be selected from each selected
taluk by considering the honeybee production potential. The Departments of Agricultural Economics, Apiculture, Agricultural
Marketing and Business Management and Agricultural Extension of College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences,
Bangalore will jointly operate the project.
THE FOLLOWING EXTENSION/OUT REACH ACTIVITIES WILL BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE PROJECT

The project is a demonstration and training oriented programme for the rural SC and ST population for beekeeping to achieve
economic security for social upliftment.
a) Carrying out Participatory Rural Appraisal technique in the selected villages and also locating SC/ST households besides
mapping the potential areas for honey bee rearing.
b) Formation of SC and ST self help groups (SHGs) or using existing and active SC/ST self help groups.
c) Capacity building of the selected SC/ST beneficiaries on scientific method of bee
keeping.
d) The exposure study tours will be organized to the established successful
entrepreneurs in beekeeping and related aspects.
e) Diffusion and popularizing the modern beekeeping in the field by conducting
Method/Result demonstration.
f) Networking of honey extraction, processing, packing and marketing.
g) Working out the economics of the production unit.
i) The critical inputs like bee hive, hiving cage, smoker, face veil, comb foundation
sheets, honey extractor, etc., will be supplied to the selected SC and ST
beneficiary families who fall under below poverty line (BPL), after successful
completion of the training programme.
 PERT CHART INDICATING SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT

Sl. I Year II Year III Year

No Mile Stones I Qr II III IV I Qr II III IV I Qr II III IV
Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr Qr
1 Survey and Mapping of Potential areas for
bee keeping and selection of SC and ST    
targeted beneficiaries for training and
formulation of self help groups
2 Planning and execution of Campaign
Programmes      
3 Development of Training Manual and
distribution, planning for training      
programme
4 Conducting training on the specific skills
and supply of critical inputs       
5 Establishing demonstration apiary units in
selected villages involving self help group         
and giving exposure to technical skills
through demonstration.
6 Exposure visits of trainees to the successful
beekeepers and societies        
7 Follow up action to ensure establishment of
aperies by trained beneficiaries         
8 Impact assessment of income and
employment generation and working out     
the economics of honey production
9 Measurement√ of constraints in beekeeping
  
10 Analysis of data, preparation of report,
finalization of the report and it’s submission    
 DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT/REVENUE GENERATION THROUGH THE
PROJECT IN LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
(INDICATETHE ADDITIONAL INCOME PER ANNUM THROUGH THE
PROJECT PERBENEFICIARY/FAMILY)

Production Particulars Numbers UnitCost Total Cost

Cost ( Rs) (Rs)
1 Bee hive Box 3 1,000 3,000
2 Hiving Cage 1 500 500
3 Smoker 1 150 150
4 Face Veil 1 100 100
5 Comb foundation Sheets 60 10 600
6 Honey extractor 1 1,500 1,500
7 Bee hive Stand 3 250 720
8 Miscellaneous @Rs.100/- 100
per beneficiary)
Total Cost 6700
Returns Particulars Unit Price Total Returns
(Rs)
1 Sale of honey (Minimum yield of 150 4,500
30 kgs.@ 10 kgs per colony)
2 Sale of colonies 600 1,800
(during the breeding season there is
multiplication and can get at least
one additional unit per box)
Total returns 6,300

BENEFIT COST RATIO (FOR THREE YEARS)

Sl. No. Item Cost
(Rs.)
1. Initial investment 6,700
2. Annual costs (self employed labour of 200 hrs. 2,000
@ Rs. 10/hr.
Total Annual Cost 8,700
Annual Returns
3. Sale of honey 30 kg @ Rs. 150/kg 4,500
4. Sale of colonies, 3 x Rs. 600 1,800
Total Annual Returns 6,300
B: C Ratio = 1.55 (Undiscounted)
 PART – IV: BUDGET ESTIMATE
(in Rupees)
Sl. Items Budget Total
No. I Year II Year III Year
A Non-Recurring Cost 5,35,000 - - 5,35,000
Sub - Total (A) 5,35,000 5,35,000
B Recurring Cost
1. Consumables / Contingency/ 6,41,000 5,70,000 6,69,000 18,80,000
Others costs
2. Travel 1,20,000 1,10,000 1,10,000 3,40,000
3. Other cost (Cost of critical inputs) 5,36,000 5,36,000 5,36,000 16,08,000

4. Man power 5,04,000 5,04,000 5,52,000 15,60,000

5. Institutional charges @ 15% 3,50,400 2,58,000 2,80,050 8,88,450
Sub - Total (B) 21,51,400 19,78,000 21,47,050 62,76,450
Grand Total (A+B) 26,86,400 19,78,000 21,47,050 68,11,450