Mango trees in Malda district, West Bengal, were known for honey bees and were the source of mango honey. Malda beekeepers say honey bees have started avoiding mango trees because of large-scale use of pesticides; they have now shifted to mustard plants.

Scent-bearing hydrocarbon molecules released by flowers can be destroyed when they come into contact with ozone and other pollutants. This phenomenon triggers a cycle in which the pollinators have trouble finding sufficient food, and as a result their populations decline. Air pollution interferes with the ability of bees and other insects to follow the scent of flowers to their source, undermining the essential process of pollination, a study by three University of Virginia researchers suggests.

Mr. Sashi Kumar with his branded honey bottles in his lab. Income generation is important for any agricultural activity. What farmers need is a remunerative income (not minimum income) for their produce, and honeybee rearing fits the slot too well. It has been proven to increase a farmer's income by 50-60 per cent under favourable conditions. It requires little investment, no land, and is not labour intensive. It is particularly suited as an income-generating activity for women, young people, and the landless. Production

Honeybees are effective bioindicators of environmental pollution as they are known to exhibit the chemical impairment of environment, writes Dr N Nagaraja.

sikkim's most important cash crop is ailing. India's biggest producer of large cardamom, Sikkim, has recently witnessed a sharp fall in crop yields, forcing many farmers to abandon large cardamom

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