Maharashtra’s First Honey Park in Mahabaleshwar: A Groundbreaking Initiative for Honey Production, Education, and Rural Empowerment
Maharashtra’s First Honey Park in Mahabaleshwar: A Groundbreaking Initiative for Honey Production, Education, and Rural Empowerment
Maharashtra has unveiled its first-ever Honey Park in Mahabaleshwar, marking a significant milestone in honey production and village industry development. The Madhuban project, a collaboration between Everest Industries Group and the Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board, features a dedicated Honey Park situated on a three-acre site within the Honey Directorate. Funded by six lakhs through CSR initiatives, the park is equipped with thirty beehives, honey collection machines, processing tools, swarm nets, queen bee breeding equipment, pollen traps, and bee whales, offering a comprehensive platform for education on honey production. The park will cater to farmers, beekeepers, students, and tourists with interactive demonstrations.
The long-term vision is to transform the Honey Directorate in Mahabaleshwar into a leading Center of Excellence for honey production. Furthermore, a second Madhuban Honey Park has been established in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, Mumbai, which will also serve as an informative hub on honey production. The park’s location takes into account the challenges posed by the high monkey population and seasonal monsoon effects, with special measures to ensure sufficient nectar-producing flowers.
While skilled manpower in Mahabaleshwar is readily available, the park currently faces a shortage of workers. To address this, local tribal women will be trained and employed across various park roles, creating employment opportunities in the region.
The Honey Park is part of a broader initiative to boost honey production, research, and rural industries in Maharashtra. “This park will serve as the primary resource for all honey-related knowledge,” said Bipin Jagtap, Deputy CEO of the Maharashtra Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Earlier in May 2022, the Board launched the first “honey village” in Manghar, near Mahabaleshwar, followed by Patgaon in Kolhapur district. These villages have gained popularity, attracting over a million visitors annually and driving local economic growth.
Known for its strawberries and the book village of Bhilar, Mahabaleshwar now adds Manghar to its list of unique attractions as India’s first honey village. Surrounded by dense forests and year-round blooming flowers, Manghar’s thriving beekeeping industry contributes significantly to crop pollination. Around eighty percent of the villagers are engaged in beekeeping, making the village a model for honey production and community development.
