Rs 500 cr for beekeeping initiatives, will help 2 lakh beekeepers: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman was announcing the details of the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, vowing to make the country ‘atmanirbhar’ or self-reliant.

The government will implement a Rs 500 crore scheme of infrastructure development for the country’s beekeepers, with special thrust on capacity building of women, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharamam said on Wednesday.

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be holding daily press conferences till Sunday. (REUTERS)

The government will implement the scheme for infrastructure development related to integrated beekeeping development centres, collection marketing and storage centres, post-harvest and value addition facilities among other things,

It will also include implementation of standards, developing a traceability system, development of quality nucleus stock and bee breeders.

“This will lead to an increase in income of 2 lakh bee-keepers,” Nirmala Sitharaman said in her press conference.

Nirmala Sitharaman was announcing the details of the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, vowing to make the country ‘atmanirbhar’ or self-reliant.

She said that agriculture and allied activities will be the focus of the third tranche of the economic package to combat the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the country.