Farmers in Gopalganj are busy in oil-seed fields as apiculture has become a lucrative occupation for many people in the district.
Aiming to collect honey that could generate a Tk2 crore business, hundreds of farmers of the district have set up wooden hives in oil seeds fields.
Farmers of Gopalganj sadar, Kashiani, Muksudpur, Tungipara and Kotalipara upazilas of the district have been collecting honey since January 1 by setting up 2,000 wooden hives in mustard, sunflower and other oil seeds fields.
The farmers said they had collected honey worth Tk1 crore so far.
“We have to stay in fields till the end of the month to collect more honey,” said a farmer.
Usually, farmers of the district collect honeybunch for two months (January to February) in a year.
Farmers of the district have been collecting honey for almost 20 years, said SM Zakirul Hasan Titu of Gopinathpur village under Gopalganj sadar, adding: “As apiculture is profitable, most of the people of our locality have become self-reliant through beekeeping.
“A determined entrepreneur can make profit in the first year of apiculture by little investment through hard work.”
Md Ilias, who works as a farm labourer, said he had suffered a lot as he could not get job in agriculture fields round the year.
“Sometimes I even had to starve for couple of days with my family.”
He said: “I am working in oil-seed fields and getting Tk5,000 monthly.”
The number of apiculturists is increasing day by day in the district as it is profitable.
Apiculturist Md Redwan Hossain said 100 tonnes of honey will be produced this year and it’s market price would exceed Tk2 crore.
“We sell one kilogram of honey at Tk200,” he said.
It was also learnt that 10,000 workers are directly and indirectly involved with beekeeping.