New Delhi, December 05 (India Science Wire): Under the Honey Mission honey production has seen an upsurge both in production and export of honey. To keep this growth on track the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to leverage the expertise available in CSIR with the effort of KVIC for promotion of honey production. It would also enable wider outreach of the CSIR technologies and products. This MoU would also provide Khadi outlets a chance to display CSIR products.
The MoU will help formalize the working relationship between the two organizations in areas such as honey testing, promotion of Honey Mission alongside the CSIR Aroma Mission and the proposed CSIR Floriculture Mission. It will also explore enlisting of CSIR licensees in the KVIC network, display of CSIR technology products at important KVIC outlets such that CSIR products can reach to wider audience. Amongst its various activities aimed at the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas, the KVIC is implementing Honey Mission for introducing and popularizing modern beekeeping in the rural areas.
It is also a low-investment and low-input business enterprise that directly generates economic gains for the participating members and integrates well with agriculture that forms the main economic activity for communities living in the rural areas.
The MoU was signed by Dr.Shekhar C. Mande, Secretary, Department for Scientific & Industrial Research and Director General, CSIR and Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, KVIC here yesterday.
CSIR has over the years, been pursuing R&D in various sectors and has developed a portfolio of processes, technologies and products in these sectors. In the agriculture and nutrition sector, the focus has been in development of technologies and products pertaining to medicinal and aromatic plants, floriculture and food processing.
