PM highlights honey extraction process of Khiamni-Yangan tribe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, on Sunday spoke about how India is setting new records in honey production. Eleven years ago, he said, honey production in the country was 76,000 metric tons, which has now increased to more than 1.5 lakh metric tons. Honey exports have also risen more than three-fold. He highlighted the cliff-honey hunting in Nagaland. He said the Khiamni-Yangan tribe in Choklangan village of Nagaland has been engaged in honey extraction for centuries. There, bees build their dwellings not on trees but on high cliffs. Therefore, the task of honey extraction is also very risky. That’s why, the people there first speak to the bees politely, and seek their permission, he said adding they tell them that they have come to collect honey, after which they extract the honey. In the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, honeybees produce a unique honey from wild basil, also known as sulai. This honey, white in colour, is called Ramban Sulai honey. A few years ago, Ramban Sulai honey received the GI tag, the PM pointed out.