If you live in a village, are involved in farming, and want to start a great low-cost business, beekeeping can be the icing on the cake! Especially with the Apis Cerana species, you can earn a bumper income by producing invaluable products like pure honey, wax, and royal jelly throughout the year. The demand for honey is inexhaustible, and with government schemes like KVIC, starting it is very easy. Let’s understand in detail the budget required for this profitable business and the strategy for generating bumper profits.
Why is beekeeping the best option for villages
Beekeeping is a unique business because it doesn’t require a large amount of money. You can start this project with 30 bee colonies for an initial investment of less than ₹60,000. The demand for products like honey, beeswax, royal jelly, and bee venom never slows down in the market. All of these products are always sold at high prices due to their health benefits and medicinal value.
If you’re already engaged in farming or other work, this business can become a strong source of income without requiring much time. Organizations like the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) are strongly promoting this business and often provide training and subsidies.
How Much Will the Initial Budget Require
To start this exciting project, you’ll need to invest capital primarily in equipment and bee colonies. Initial equipment, such as bee hives, hive stands, smokers, and honey extractors, will cost approximately ₹55,000. Additionally, ₹4,200 will be required as working capital. Thus, the total initial cost of this ambitious project will be around ₹59,200.
Additional Annual Expenses
In addition to the initial cost, you’ll also need to incur some additional expenses throughout the year. For example, feeding bees sugar, migrating colonies, and disease control can cost around ₹2,000. Skilled and unskilled labor can cost around ₹12,000, and insurance, administrative work, and maintenance can cost ₹7,500 to ₹8,000.
Annual Production and Profits
Profits in beekeeping depend on your hard work and marketing strategy, but it offers tremendous income potential. A single beekeeping season can produce up to 504 kilograms of products like honey, wax, and queen bees annually. If you sell honey in the market at a starting price of around ₹50 per kilogram (pure and organic honey costs much more), your annual sales value could be around ₹2.5 lakh. After deducting all expenses from your total annual sales value, your net profit could range from ₹55,000 to ₹69,000 or even higher, depending directly on your production and sales rate.
How to Start Beekeeping
If you’re interested in starting this profitable business, follow these important steps:
First, seek practical training from KVIC or your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra. This will make you skilled in handling bees and controlling diseases.
Purchase bee boxes, smokestacks, and other handling equipment. Pay special attention to the quality of the equipment.
After extracting the honey, start selling it in local markets and online marketplaces.
Pure, organic honey is always in high demand in the market. Maintaining the quality of your product can help you get a better price.