Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL), the manufacturers of popular Munchee Biscuits, initiated a project as a part of its CSR initiatives to assist the bee-keeping farmers of Welimada, Keppetipola, Boralanda in the Bandarawela areas as far back as 2005 in response to a request made by the Provincial Director of Agriculture for assistance to rehabilitate the declining honey industry.
This project was strongly supported by a multi pronged approached with the supply of bee keeping equipment, extension and training on bee-keeping. CBL also assisted the producers in marketing the products through its distribution channels.
The project won the confidence of the ARTGOLD project of the UNDP, which sponsored an assistance programs twice, during the period 2006–2010.
In 2015, the honey project was supported by the National Agribusiness Development program (NADeP) under the State sponsored project to promote the public/private sector participation to enhance agricultural production. Under this new program over 500 bee keepers were provided with all their hardware requirements, technical training supported by an attractive guaranteed price scheme.
Manager, Special Projects, Aruna Lokupothagamage said that the project started with 350 kg in 2005 grew up to 7,000 kg in 2014 and their target is to increase the honey yield up to 25,000 kg (25 mt.) by 2018. He said school leavers, unemployed youth and house wives have shown interest in joining this project.
It was also revealed that Sri Lanka imports 70–80 mt. annually.