Honey is produced by cooperative societies in Kerala in a big way. But the wild honey yield in Kerala has fallen sharply this year due to climatic change in the form of heavy unseasonal rains, hurting tribals in areas like Wayanad district, for whom the forest produce is their main source of supplementary income.
Procurement of wild honey by the Sulthan Bathery ST Cooperative Society fell by 56.8 per cent from 21,000 kg in 2009-10, the secretary of the society, George said.
V Kesavan, the president of the Kerala State Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cooperative Federation, the apex body of tribal cooperative societies, said all 32 societies
under it have reported a sharp fall in wild honey yield.
According to experts and honey collectors, climate change in the form of heavy unseasonal rains was the primary reason for the reduced honey output from the Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary (WWLS)and adjacent forests.
Wild honey enjoys great demand from the ayurvedic industry because of its purity and quality compared to cultured honey.
