As reported by IDR Online, Anita Dhakad from Madhya Pradesh highlights how falling honey prices and lack of buyers are pushing rural women beekeepers into financial distress.
BHOPAL (India CSR): Morena, Madhya Pradesh: Rural women engaged in beekeeping under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) are facing mounting financial challenges due to falling honey prices and limited market access. According to a report published on IDR Online, Anita Dhakad, a beekeeper from Dhurkuda village in Morena district, says that while loan repayments remain fixed, the price of honey continues to fluctuate, making it difficult for small producers to sustain their livelihoods.
Her experience reflects the broader struggles faced by women entrepreneurs who ventured into beekeeping through self-help groups with the hope of building sustainable incomes.
Women Entrepreneurs Inspired by NRLM
In Dhurkuda village, beekeeping has become a common livelihood activity among families. Anita Dhakad explains that the shift began after the formation of self-help groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
โWhen SHGs were first set up in our village under NRLM, we were encouraged to become self-employed. I decided to take up beekeeping and received training through the programme,โ Dhakad said, as quoted in the IDR Online report.
The training provided confidence to rural women to launch small enterprises. Dhakad initially took a loan of Rs 50,000 from her SHG, followed by another loan of Rs 1 lakh to expand her work.
Later, in 2023, she partnered with fellow villager Ramkatori Dhakad, and the two jointly took a loan of Rs 6 lakh to grow their beekeeping enterprise.
โAt present, both of us have a debt of around Rs 3 lakh each, and we have been running this enterprise together for the past three to four years,โ she said.
Falling Honey Prices Hurt Rural Producers
According to Dhakad, the enterprise was profitable in the beginning. In the first year of operations, honey fetched around Rs 150 per kilogram, providing a steady income.
However, the situation changed as demand started declining.
โIn the beginning our work was going well. But gradually the demand for honey began falling, and buckets of unsold honey started piling up,โ she said.
Each storage bucket contains approximately 30โ35 kilograms of honey. Over time, the inventory accumulated significantly.
โIn 2025 we had 170 buckets of honey, out of which 90 were collected that year and 80 were from the previous year,โ Dhakad explained.
With loan instalments due and no immediate buyers, the beekeepers were forced to sell their produce at much lower prices.
โWe had to sell honey at nearly Rs 80 per kilogram, almost half the earlier price, because we needed money to repay our loans,โ she said.
Lack of Buyers Forcing Beekeepers to Quit
Dhakad says the biggest problem is the absence of reliable buyers.
โThe biggest challenge we face is not finding buyers. Because of this, many people in our area are now stepping away from beekeeping,โ she said.
As the crisis deepened, beekeepers in the region collectively approached government officials to raise their concerns.
โMany of us held meetings with NRLM officials, and after that buying gradually resumed,โ Dhakad noted.
However, the uncertainty continues to affect livelihoods in the region.
High Costs, Low Returns
In the last two years, Dhakad says the enterprise has required significant investment but has generated minimal income.
โIn the past two years we have spent nearly Rs 4 lakh, but we have barely earned anything,โ she said.
She believes that if honey could consistently sell at Rs 150 per kilogram, beekeepers would be able to repay their loans and sustain their businesses.
โIf we get Rs 150 per kilo, we can pay off our bank loans. Otherwise we are being pushed to a point where we might even have to sell our bees,โ she said.
Packaging and Marketing Barriers
When Dhakad and other beekeepers raised the issue with NRLM officials, they were advised to package and market the honey themselves.
โThey told us to filter the honey, package it in half and one-kilo packets, obtain a GST number, register ourselves, and sell the honey with bills whenever there is demand,โ she said.
However, Dhakad says such requirements are difficult for small rural entrepreneurs to meet.
โWe do not have the resources or the money needed to buy machines for packaging and marketing,โ she explained.
She also highlighted the challenge of selling large quantities independently.
โWe collect honey in large volumes. How are we supposed to sell all of it ourselves?โ she asked.
Call for Fair Prices and Timely Payments
Despite the challenges, Dhakad and other beekeepers remain hopeful that better market systems will support their efforts.
โOur only demand is that we receive fair rates for our honey and timely payments, so that our hard work does not go to waste,โ she said.
Her experience highlights the need for stronger market linkages and price support mechanisms for rural women entrepreneurs engaged in livelihood programmes.
Source
This story is based on the first-person account of Anita Dhakad as reported by IDR Online (idronline.org).
