Scientific beekeeping opens safer income path for tribal women
SERP and Humble Bee train tribal women in scientific beekeeping across three Telangana districts, offering safer incomes as wild honey collection declines.
As wild honey becomes scarcer and traditional forest collection grows riskier, a new initiative is helping tribal women in Telangana turn to scientific beekeeping for a stable livelihood. The programme, run by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) with technical support from Buzzworthy Ventures Private Limited (Humble Bee), was launched in April 2026 under a three-year agreement.
Mankidi Prashanthi, a 35-year-old self-help group member from Ankampalle in Mulugu district, said her family once earned ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 annually from wild honey harvested by her husband. "The forests have changed. The honeycombs that were once abundant have become increasingly difficult to find," she noted, adding that SERP's training boosted her confidence.
For others, the shift is also about safety. Chigurla Malleshwari, 24, from Mallapur Penta in Nagarkurnool district, recalled how men from her community faced accidents, disabilities and even death while venturing deep into forests for honey.
The first phase aims to empower 1,500 tribal and rural women, said Rajitha Nared, Chief Operating Officer, Farm and Food Processing Sector, SERP. The pilot covers Mulugu, Nagarkurnool and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad districts, with plans to establish about 15,000 beehives. Each woman is expected to manage 10 colonies, with an asset investment of roughly ₹64,000 covering hives, colonies and a toolkit.
So far, 139 women have been trained and have set up their apiaries, with nearly 1,400 hives operational. All 1,500 women are expected to complete training within the next three to four months, and the first honey harvest is anticipated by December this year. The projected annual income is about ₹50,000, and the assets are expected to last 10 to 15 years.
The total programme budget, including credit extended to participants, is ₹12 crore. Humble Bee has also arranged a buy-back mechanism to procure honey from the women. Surender Thaduru, State lead at Humble Bee, said some participants are being trained as 'Bee Sakhis' to support roughly 25 beekeepers each in their villages. Plans are also underway to build a women-led value chain around scientific beekeeping.