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HomePosts Tagged "India Honey Alliance (IHA)"
Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Bee keeping

The agreement includes identification and mutual collaboration in the areas of testing systems for honey, research and data analysis and training facilitation

The India Honey Alliance (IHA) and National Institute of Food Technology & Entrepreneurship Management (NIFTEM) have collaborated with an aim to strengthen the creation of a robust honey ecosystem in India. The agreement includes identification and mutual collaboration in the areas of testing systems for honey, research and data analysis, training facilitation and any emerging areas in the related fields.

Both the organisations will work together to create scientific systems in terms of food safety, nutrition for honey and bee-keeping products across the country. NIFTEM has recently got the tag of Institute of National Importance and will use their academic training centre to train the bee-keeping and honey community and food business operators (FBOs), along with assisting in the creation of a robust scientific ecosystem for all related products.

Additionally, the International Centre of Excellence in Food Safety & Quality at NIFTEM would also function as a National Reference Laboratory of IHA in the chosen area of competence for the purpose of honey authenticity, method development, proficiency testing etc. NIFTEM will also function as the academic partner of IHA for developing the content and conducting the training, for all areas of the honey value chain, through a joint certification programme.

The NIFTEM facilities would be utilised by IHA as the Centre for Training of Trainers (ToT) in various hands-on-training courses, food analysts and other laboratory personnel; and, as a training partner for various courses and modules as mutually agreed. One of the most important goals of this partnership is to develop an adequate number of trained and certified honey & bee-keeping professionals for the country’s honey industry. Further, IHA will also assist NIFTEM in setting up the bee-keeping park in NIFTEM through utilisation of available resources.

The agreement includes identification and mutual collaboration

Allied Industry, Bee keeping, India, Interaction

In an interaction with AgroSpectrum India Namrata Khanna, Director, India Honey Alliance (IHA) shared her vision for a ‘Sweet Revolution’ along with the infrastructural and regulatory challenges plaguing the Indian honey market at large. Edited excerpts.

What are the factors driving the Indian honey market given that its size is expected to reach Rs 38 billion by 2027, according to a report by the  International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group (IMARC)?

Demand for honey has been growing with consumers becoming more health conscious and including honey in their daily diet. This demand witnessed a sizeable jump during the COVID pandemic as honey is known for its immunity boosting properties. In fact, the market touched a high in 2020, with a total valuation of Rs 19.2 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 per cent to reach Rs 30.6 billion by 2026.  All this can be attributed to the therapeutic properties that honey carries.

The pandemic ensured people made a beeline for wellness products. Today, the industry is propelled by the Food & Beverage segment, personal care and cosmetic industry due to its proven use in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, as a natural humectant, and as a healthy alternative to sugar. Many leading FMCG players are launching not just different flavours of honey, such as tulsi, ajwain, ashwagandha, eucalyptus and jamun, but also newer formats like honey-based syrups, which have been driving market growth. The rising applications of honey in home remedies due to its antibacterial and antiseptic qualities that help in healing wounds and burns, also influence the growth of the honey market.

Moreover, the recommendation by the Ministry of AYUSH for honey as a home remedy for preventive care only helped in propelling the overall demand.

Further, scientific endorsement of the medicinal properties of honey and its growing usage as a premium ingredient in nutraceuticals are also creating a favourable market outlook. The demand is also getting escalated owing to the easy product availability through e-commerce platforms and extensive R&D activities to improve its uses and quality. Besides, the Government of India is introducing various training programmes and mentoring services to create awareness amongst farmers about the latest beekeeping practices.

To read more click on https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

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In an interaction with AgroSpectrum India Namrata