Honey in pouches: Khadi Board’s sweet initiative

Newindpress, 28th March, 2008

BHUBANESWAR: If Orissa Khadi and Village Industries Board has its way, honey would soon be available in pouches.The board plans to take up this project once the proposed modern honey processing unit starts functioning on its premises. It has already received a grant of Rs 18 lakh for the unit.Board secretary Manmohan Rath said, their ultimate goal is to increase honey production substantially in the State and popularise its consumption. At present, honey consumption in the State stands at 18 gram per head as against the countrywide figure of 38 grams.The Government is in the process of setting up bee keeping nurseries in Bhawanipatna, Balangir, Koraput and Rayagada. He said, the ensuing programmes would entail employment generation and supplementary income to BPL families.On promotion of khadi and raising production capacity, he said a production-cum-training centre would be set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore here.Modern 10 spindle charkhas will be used in the centre. The Khadi Board has so far created about 3,100 rural entrepreneurs and provided employment opportunities to about 29,000 people under the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP).The nine-day REGP exhibition, which concluded here today, provided such entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their produce. The secretary said, plans are afoot to take up a Rs 3-crore project at Khaprakhol block in Balangir district, a rich cotton growing region.The project is basically for setting up a khadi centre producing superior quality thread. It will also provide employment opportunities to about 500 persons. The success of the project might also check migration from the region.Disclosing plans for popularising bamboo items, Rath said a Rs 50-lakh pilot project has been presented to the Khadi Commission for value addition of bamboo items. The project will directly benefit another 500 families.