Three years ago, Zehra was a physiotherapy student experimenting with 35 bee colonies. Today, she manages 650 hives, produces six quintals of honey a year, and exports to markets as far as Canada and China. “I earn far more than I ever imagined,” she says, standing beside neat rows of hives in Lethpora’s saffron belt.
From tradition to ₹500 crore boom
Jammu and Kashmir’s apiculture industry is booming.
Once a traditional craft practiced in villages, beekeeping here has transformed into a ₹500 crore industry, attracting a new generation of youth entrepreneurs. While J&K still ranks tenth in India for production by volume, its strength lies in premium honey from rare floral sources, produced with minimal chemical exposure, commanding high prices in domestic and international markets.
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Over the past five years, production has doubled to 27,092 quintals in FY25 (check) from 13,062 quintals in FY19 (check), with colonies rising from 132,000 to 227,000.
Assistant entomologist and chief sector officer, apiculture, Kashmir, Qazi Showkat Ashraf said that over the past five years, there has been a steady rise in beekeeping units, with more individuals, especially youth starting their own ventures. “If this trend continues, J&K is well on track to break into the top five honey-producing regions in the country within the next five years.”
Unlike larger states that dominate through sheer volume, J&K leverages organic purity, rare floral varieties, and modern scientific practices. While many states rely on indigenous Apis cerana bees, J&K has scaled up the European honeybee (Apis mellifera), prized for higher yields and a wider forage range.
“The abundance of nectar sources and the temperate climate here allow Apis mellifera to thrive,” R.K. Gupta, head of entomology at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST Jammu) told Mint. “Minimal pesticide use preserves nectar purity, which enhances both medicinal properties and export potential.”
Kashmir’s honey draws from apple orchards, saffron fields, Robinia pseudoacacia (kiker), Plectranthus rugosus (solai), and wild forest flora. Kiker honey is prized for its nutritional richness, while solai honey carries rare herbal properties. Together, these varieties give J&K honey a premium tag in domestic and global markets.
Government support has accelerated this transformation. Under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) launched in 2023, modern hives costing ₹5,000 can receive up to 80% subsidies. Equipment and migratory beekeeping also qualify for significant incentives.
“Beekeeping requires no land and minimal investment. It is one of the few rural businesses where income is not land-dependent,” explains Gupta.
Both Gupta and Ashraf stress that J&K has moved from traditional natural colonies to modern hive-based systems. A single traditional colony, housing around 15,000 bees, produces 25 to 40 kg of honey annually.
The financial impact is evident, especially for young entrepreneurs. Depending on scale, beekeepers now earn between ₹3 lakh and ₹20 lakh annually, supplemented by sales of beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, and venom. Official data pegs sector-wide income at ₹499.42 crore in 2024–25, with honey accounting for ₹135 crore and beeswax ₹270 crore.
“I wanted to start a unit in 2022 but lacked funds,” says Shabir Ahmad Itoo, (35), a beekeeper from south Kashmir’s Kulgam. “HADP gave me ₹1.12 lakh as subsidy, so I only invested ₹28,000. Now I earn ₹8-10 lakh annually, catering to strong local demand.”
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Zehra is expanding with government support, setting up an ₹8 crore Farmer Producer Organisation to scale marketing and exports. “The government helps us sell through emporiums and melas, provides hand holding in crises, and assists with equipment required for setting up beekeeping units,” she told Mint.
Buzzing through challenges
Yet, the sweet story has its shadows. Migratory beekeeping, essential for sustaining colonies during Kashmir’s harsh winters, is fraught with challenges. Each October, hundreds of beekeepers load their hives onto trucks and travel to warmer states like Rajasthan and Punjab, where mustard and sunflower crops offer ample forage.
For senior beekeeper Mohammad Anwar Dhar from Awantipora, the migration is both arduous and essential. “The cold here kills bees. In Rajasthan’s mustard fields, they thrive, and so does my income,” he tells Livemint. “But blocked highways, erratic weather, and rising transport costs often lead to heavy losses. If traffic halts for days, bees die inside the boxes which is devastating.”
Climate change adds another layer of risk. Unseasonal rains and cold spells damage blossoms, reducing nectar availability. Deforestation is also threatening prized varieties. “Kiker honey is considered the best, but large-scale felling of kiker trees is alarming. Without replantation, the future of this honey variety is at risk,” says Naseer Ahmad, a senior beekeeper in Tral, 42 kilometres from Srinagar.
Despite these hurdles, the sector’s long-term potential lies not only in honey but in pollination. More than 70 percent of J&K’s 1.25 crore people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture and its allied sectors, and bees significantly boost fruit yields. “Pollination can enhance apple, almond, and cherry yields by up to 30 times. For a region where horticulture is the backbone of the economy, pollination of bees makes apiculture indispensable,” said Manzoor Ahmad Parray, former head of entomology at SKUAST Kashmir.
Itoo also says that introducing bee colonies into his apple orchards has transformed the crop’s colour, size and taste. “I am not only earning from honey, but my orchard yields have also improved through pollination, effectively doubling my income with better quality and quantity,” he added. Encouraged by his results, several other orchardists have adopted the same model, combining beekeeping with apple cultivation.
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This recognition has fuelled an ecosystem of research, training, and awareness. Institutions like SKUAST, the ICAR-backed All India Research Project on Honeybees and Pollinators, and the Ministry of MSME have trained hundreds of youth and tribal communities. Door-to-door campaigns and documentaries have popularised beekeeping as a livelihood option.
“The availability of free training and visible success stories is pulling more young people into the sector,” Gupta said.
