BIS Panel Visits Apiculture Industry in Doraha for Developing Standards

Ludhiana, August 06, 2024: Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) panel of Apiary Industry Sectional Committee (FAD3) led by the Chairperson, Dr. Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja, the retired Honey Bee Scientist from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU); member Dr. Jaspal Singh, the Bee Scientist from the PAU; member Dr. Ranjeet Singh, Head, Transfer of Technology Division at ICAR-CIPHET; Industry member, Jaswant Singh Tiwana along with the Assistant Director of the BIS from Guwahati Regional Centre, Ashutosh Rai, held meetings at Ludhiana concerning one Actional Research Project (ARP) for developing standards for comb foundation mills and beeswax comb foundations for Italian honey bee and for the various races of Asian honey bee prevalent in India, as well for Honey Processing Plant. After individual level input retrieving meetings of Mr Rai with the members at ICAR-CIPHET and the PAU, the panel visited Doraha, the hub of the beekeeping industry in India. The decision of the ARP was taken during the deliberations of the preceding national level FAD3 meetings with members from the ICAR, AICRP on Honeybees, National Bee Board, Bee industry, Agricultural Universities, etc. The FAD3 under the BIS is functioning in its endeavours in developing standards for various apicultural production and processing appliances including machinery, towards enhancing apicultural work efficiency and also the quality of the machinery and hive products. The ARP team during its visit to Apicultural industry at Doraha through finer measurements assessed the in-situ natural processes and final outcome products vis-à-vis the marketed products and also the machinery being used in the manufacture of the man-made products for use in Apiculture. Through the measurements and the deliberations, the need-based modifications desired in the marketed machinery and products were finalized during the whole day long process to be closest to the bee made products so that our apicultural hive productivity could be further enhanced. The detailed report on the ARP towards facilitating the development of the improved standards shall be submitted to the BIS and the same will be deliberated further during the next national level FAD3 meeting to be held at SKUAST, Srinagar, towards developing and recommending the final standards on the designated apicultural items.