Bee keeping promotion in Anuradhapura | Sunday Observer

Bee keeping promotion in Anuradhapura

13 August, 2023
A person having received a bee keeping box from Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara at the Medawachchiya bee keeping training workshop
A person having received a bee keeping box from Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara at the Medawachchiya bee keeping training workshop

The Helvetas Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) helps popularise bee keeping in the Anuradhapura district. The program has been implemented as a result of a discussion between Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara and several NGOs arranged by District Coordinator of Non-Governmental Organisations Sumith Rathnayake.

Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara told the Sunday Observer that bee keeping training programs have been conducted in Medawachchiya, Rambewa, Mihintale and Kebithigollewa Divisional Secretariat divisions.

Jayasundara said, “It is a good omen that the majority of those interested in bee keeping as a lucrative income generating self-employment, are educated young men and women. While engaged in the commercial bee keeping industry as a part-time job, farmers could continue their cultivation. There is a big demand for bee honey locally and in foreign countries fetching high price.”

The District Secretary commended the Helvetas organisation and the Rajarata Participatory Development Foundation for their dedication to promote the bee keeping industry as a major income generating self-employment venture in the district.

Helvetas international’s Sri Lanka Director Subashi Dissanayaka said that in the dry zone, especially in the North Central Province, the bee population is on a rapid decrease and threatened with extinction. Therefore, the dedication of Anuradhapura District Secretary Janaka Jayasundara, the 22 Divisional Secretaries and the NGOs in the district in promoting the bee keeping industry is highly appreciative.

Rajarata Participatory Development project’s Chairman D. Wimallthunga said that at present, 20 youth from Medawachchiya 32 and 58 from Kebithigollewa and Mihintale and 30 persons from Rambewa were trained on bee keeping techniques and there is an increasing demand from educated youth to join the project.

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