CBL and NADeP continue to support Uva Province bee honey industry

8 April 2015 03:41 am

Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL) in collaboration with the National Agribusiness Development Programme (NADeP), renewed its support to bee honey producers in some selected villages in the Uva Province, launching a mega project recently at the Economic Center in Keppetipola, Bandarawela.
The project, will continue over a period of two years and is   one of the biggest honey production development projects launched so far in Sri Lanka. CBL’s objective is to increase honey production in the country to over 25,000 kg per year after the next two year period. Which  is  considered  to be around  twenty  five  percent  of  country’s  bee  honey  requirement. 
CBL   started   the bee honey project in 2006 as a CSR initiative,  following a request made to the company by the then Director of Agriculture in the Uva Province. Honey production in the Uva Province, which flourished during the time of the Mahaweli upper catchment area development project had suffered a natural decline when the project ended due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of marketing facilities and technical support. As a result, the number of bee keepers declined and those who continued in the industry, were faced with a multitude of problems. 
CBL promptly rose to the occasion and gave an undertaking to the bee keepers, agreeing top purchase the entire quantity of honey produced by them at an attractive guaranteed price and in addition offered the benefits of company’s sophisticated sales and marketing network. Further  the  company  has  also  recruited  a  special    team   to  run the  project  smoothly  and  ensure  its  sustainability said  Aruna Lokupothagama ,  special  Project  Manager  of  CBL.
This resulted in confidence building for the farmers and led to an increase in their production yields. The efforts were further reinforced, with the intervention of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),which provided financial assistance to purchase bee keeping equipment and enhanced training facilities. As a  result  of  CBL’s  contribution  the   production  yield  of  bee’s  honey  in Uva has  been  increased   from  350 kg to  6,000 kgs.  Per season during the last eight years giving  new  blood  to the   bee  honey  production  industry  in the Uva.