Himachal Pradesh has a problem. With the apple trees starting to blossom, the farmers want their beekeepers – stuck in Punjab and Haryana because of the Covid-19 lockdown – to return as bees are integral to pollination.
The Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS), a left leaning farmers’ group, has appealed to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur to make arrangements for the beekeepers to return.
In a letter written to Thakur, HKS President Kuldeep Singh Tanwar has said that 1.25 lakh families were associated with horticulture in the state, which contributed 12% to the state’s economy.
“However, about 150 beekeepers, who move to the plains of Punjab and Haryana in winter, are still stuck in the neighbouring states,” said Tanwar.
“These people are very poor and depend on beekeeping for their livelihood. Now, as the summer heat is increasing, the threat of bees perishing due to high temperature is looming large,” he said.
This will not only hit the poor people, Tanwar said, but also the horticulture of the state.
“So, HKS urges the state government to make arrangements for evacuation of the beekeepers at the earliest,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“So, HKS urges the state government to make arrangements for evacuation of the beekeepers at the earliest,” he said.
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