ANNUAL REPORT - UTMT Society...Crops Before beekeeping After beekeeping Increased economic value...

ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016 1

2015 - 16

ANNUAL REPORT

ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 - 20162


CONTENTS

FOREWORD................................................................................................ 4

BEES.FOR.POVERY.REDUCTION.(BPR).PROGRAMME............ 6

. GUJARAT............................................................................................ 6

. MAHARASHTRA.............................................................................. 10

. MADHYA.PRADESH....................................................................... 14

INNOVATIONS............................................................................................ 16.

VOLUNTEERS.AND.INTERNS.............................................................. 18

EMPLOYEE.ENGAGEMENT................................................................... 20

FUNDRAISING.EVENT............................................................................ 22

URBAN.BEEKEEPING.............................................................................. 23

UTMT.IN.THE.MEDIA............................................................................... 24

FINANCIALS............................................................................................... 26

GET.INVOLVED.......................................................................................... 30

CONTACT.US.............................................................................................. 32


FOREWORD

This.year.marked.a.significant.milestone.in.UTMT’s.journey..In.collaboration.

with.NABARD,.we.piloted.our.biggest.intervention.to.date,.with.1000.women.

in.two.of.the.most.backward.districts.in.India.–.Dangs.(Gujarat).and.Dhule.

(Maharashtra)..This. is.probably. the.first. time. that.Apis.cerana.beekeeping.

has.been.taken.to.women.in.such.large.numbers.in.India..The.pilot.helped.to.

establish.the.field.level.impact.that.beekeeping.can.have.in.increasing.yields.

for.small.holder.farms..Women.took.ownership.of.the.programme.in.a.big.

way.and.UTMT’s.first.women.Master.Trainer.cadre.emerged,.breaking.many.

gender.stereotypes.along.the.way..They.are.great.sources.of.inspiration,.to.

us.and.the.community..This.pilot.also.helped.us.tailor.our.programme.to.the.

needs.of.women.making.it.a.huge.learning.experience.for.us.

We.also.piloted.a.number.of.innovations:.

a).Low.cost.mud.hives.which.the.women.beekeepers.of.Dhule. ingeniously.

re-engineered. into.a.moveable.one.

b).New.techniques. in.colony.rearing.and.preventing.pest.attacks. in.boxes,.

and.

c).A.number.of.seeds.and.saplings.that.augment.bee.flora.were.identified.

and.distributed.with.good. results..

We.are.grateful.for.the.support.of.our.donors.(NABARD,.Dr.and.Mrs.S.M.H.

Modi. Hormus. House. Benevolence. Trust. Fund),. development. agencies.

(Reliance.Foundation),.corporate.partners.(RBL.Bank.and.Tata.Power).and.a.

number.of.individual.donors.who.have.helped.us.reach.where.we.are.today.

A.special.word.of.appreciation.and.thanks. to.our.Board. for. their. support,.

encouragement.and.our.team,.who.have.worked.very.hard.with.a.great.deal.

of.commitment.and.zeal..We.look.forward.to.another.year.of.new.milestones.

being. achieved. and. establishing. Apis. cerana. beekeeping. as. a. crucial.

agricultural. input. for. small. farmers..

Vijaya Pastala

President

Under.The.Mango.Tree.Society


BEES FOR POVERY REDUCTION (BPR)PROGRAMME

GUJARATOur.Gujarat.programme.continues.to.focus.on.the.tribal.districts.of.Valsad.

and.Dangs,.with.a.smaller.presence.in.Bharuch.district,.Netrang.(a.Reliance

Foundation. collaboration). and. Silvassa. in. Dadra. and. Nagar. Haveli.. 1739.

farmers.have.been.trained.so.far..

The. women’s. beekeeping. pilot. in. Dangs. supported. by. NABARD. made.

significant.progress..It.involved.testing.suitability.of.the.beekeeping.concept.

for.women.by.training.500.Self.Help.Group.members..Advanced.skill.building.

workshops. were. held. for. progressive,. talented. beekeepers.. These. “Master.

Trainers”.are.responsible.for.caring.for.beeboxes.in.their.villages.and.reporting.

progress.


Two new aspects of the “beekeeping

ecosystem” were operationalised:

•. A. Beekeeping. Resource. Centre. at.

Tutarkhed. village,. Valsad. has. been.

developed,.functioning.as.a.residential.

training. center.. Training. activities,.

exposure. visits,. staff. orientations,.

farmer. meetings. are. regularly. held.

here.

•.Bee.flora:.To.assist.bees. in.accessing.enough.food.in.months.of.scarcity,.

one.of.our.Master.Trainers.experimented.by.planting.Sesame.(til).near.bee.

boxes..This.worked.well.-.10.weak.beeboxes.in.the.vicinity.became.healthy.in.

a.few.weeks,.three.of.them.strong.enough.to.yield.3.kgs.honey.each.in.the.

ensuing. honey. season.. Encouraged.

by.the.results,.3000.Adusi.(Adhatoda.

Vassica).saplings.were.distributed.to.

170. beekeepers. for. planting. around.

the.boxes..Seeds.of.Niger,.Pigeon.pea.

and.Sesame.were.distributed.to.100.

farmers.. These. small. measures. have.

greatly.improved.food.availability.for.

bees..The. initiative.received.support.

from.RBL.bank..


Key outcomes in Gujarat:

Honey produced:. . Of. the. 455. kgs. of. honey. extracted. in. Valsad,. 352. kgs.

were.procured.by.Under.The.Mango.Tree.Naturals.and.Organics.Pvt.Limited,.

resulting.in.a.cumulative. income.increase.of.Rs.80,000.for.the.farmers..

Beeboxes generated by UTMT carpenters:. . Our. workshops. in. Valsad. and.

Dang. earned. Rs. 2,55,000. making. beeboxes. for. our. projects..

Beekeeping inputs:.Two.womens.Self.Help.Groups.from.Valsad.and.Dangs.

earned.an.additional.income.of.Rs.35750.by.production.and.sale.of.beekeeping.

swarm.bags.and.bee.veils.


Parul Pawar, Beekeeper, Dangs

district, Gujarat

Parulben. Pawar. is. a. -26year. old.

beekeeper. from. Dangs. district. of.

Gujarat..A.Higher.Secondary.School.

graduate,. her. primary. occupation.

is. subsistence. agriculture. reliant. on.

rainfall..

Parul feels proud to work with the women in her community, to empower

them with a skill that will bring multiple benefits. “This is an activity that

can be done by any woman”,.she.says..

Parul.has.seen.for.herself.the.difference.bees.have.made.to.her.farm.produce..

Brinjal. and. tomato.are.bigger. in. size.as.compared. to. the.harvests.before..

Production. doubled. for. most. crops,. providing. her. family. with. more. grain,.

pulses.and.vegetables.

In. September. 2014,. UTMT. visited.

her.village. to. introduce.beekeeping..

Initially. very. apprehensive. at. the.

idea. of. boxing. bees,. Parul. attended.

the. trainings. and. after. a. year. not.

only. owns. 3. bee-boxes. but. is. also.

appointed.as.junior.Master.Trainer.for.

her.commitment.and.skill..What.sets.

Parul. apart. is. her. ability. to. conduct.

Natural.Colony.Transfers.(NCTs).-.the.

technique. of. transferring. bees. from.

the. wild. into. a. bee-box..

Crops Before beekeeping After beekeeping Increased economic value (Rs)Proso millet 40 kg 80 kg 1,000

Blackgram 20 kg 40 kg 3,000

Pigeonpea 10 kg 20 kg 1,200

Brinjal 30 kg 45 kg 300

Tomato 10 kg 30 kg 200

Flatbeans 15 kg 40 kg 500

TOTAL 6,200


MAHARASHTRA

The. Maharashtra. programme. operates. in. the. districts. of. Nasik,. Dhule,.

Ahmednagar. and. Palghar..

500.women.from.Women’s.Self.Help.Groups.in.Dhule.district.were.trained.in.

beekeeping.as.part.of.the.pilot.project.with.the.National Bank for Agriculture

and Rural Development (NABARD).. Fifteen. women. Master. Trainers. learnt.

techniques. of. regularly. monitoring. the. status. of. bee. –. boxes. at. the. local.

level..These.MTs.are.capable.of.conducting.Natural.Colony.Transfers,.Colony.

division,.honey.extraction.and.seasonal.maintenance..

With. support. from. the. Tata Power Community Development Trust Fund.

beekeepers. in. Kadachimet. village. in. Palghar. experienced. an. increase. in.

crop.yields.and.also.mentioned.that.fruit.trees.bore.more.fruits.than.before.


a. result.of.bee.pollination..This.year.

UTMT.added.23.women.beekeepers.

in.the.program.and.provided.regular.

handholding.support.for.58.farmers.

In. Peth,. Nashik. regular. handholding.

support.was.provided.to.70.farmers.

under. the. project. supported. by. Dr

and Mrs S.H.M Modi Hormus House

Benevolence Trust.. Beekeepers.

experienced. increase. in. agricultural.

productivity.by.%22.to.%66.for.crops.

like. French. beans,. cashew,. bottle.

gourd.and.mango.with.a.cumulative.

increased. income. amounting. to. Rs.

1,47,000.

Ten. staff. members. of. the.

Comprehensive Rural Health Project

were. trained. in. beekeeping. in.

Jamkhed. block. of. Ahmednagar..

Advanced. skill. building. sessions.

were.conducted.for.two.beekeeping.

Master. Trainers..

A Training of Trainers. was. also.

undertaken. for. Shramjeevi. Janata.

Sahayyak. Mandal. (SJSM),. Satara,.

on. the. initiative. of. the. CSR. arm. of.

ITC.. Under. this. program. 28. farmers.

from. four. villages. were. trained. as.

beekeepers.. Advanced. training. was.

provided. to. 6. Master. Trainers. at.

UTMT’s.Beekeeping.Resource.Centre.

in. Gujarat...


Key outcomes in Maharashtra:Beeboxes:. Local. carpenters. in. Maharashtra. earned. Rs. 50,000. by. making.beeboxes

Beekeeping inputs:. Local. women. Self. Help. Groups. in. Dhule. and. Nashik.earned.an.additional.income.of.Rs.25,000.by.making.beekeeping.inputs.like.swarm.bags.and.bee.veils..

Beekeeping Resource Centre:.The.Beekeeping.Resource.Centre.in.Dhule.has.developed.as.a.hub.for.providing.information.on.beekeeping.by.conducting.trainings.and.meetings..

Colony rearing:.New.Techniques.were.experimented.with.in.Colony.rearing..The.cup.cell.and.zigzag.method.were.introduced.to.multiply.the.number.of.bee.boxes..

CommCare:.The.team.made.good.progress.with.the.beekeeping.app.on.the.open. source. CommCare. system. to. help. reporting. and. MIS. -. 600. farmers.were.registered,.the.status.of.their.bee.boxes.monitored.through.the.app.and.reports.were.generated.twice.a.month..This.helped.better.monitoring.of.the.field.level.boxes..

Omna Mauchi, Beekeeper, Dhule district, MaharashtraOmnatai,. 39,. also. from.Mauchipada.village,. is. another. rising. star. from.her.batch.of.trainees..She.was.inducted.in.January.2015.as.a.beekeeping.Master.Trainer,.a.year.after.her.first.training.

Omnatai. had. never. heard. of. beekeeping. in. boxes. before. UTMT. arrived..However,. what. distinguished. her. from. fellow. trainees. was. her. advanced.familiarity.with.bees,. she.having.practiced.honey.hunting.of. the.wild.Apis.florea.bee.with.her.family.from.a.young.age..It.is.this.inherent.fearlessness.

Crops Before beekeeping After beekeeping Increased economic value (Rs)

Mango 20 kg 50 kg 750

Chillies 18 kg 20 kg 80

Brinjal 45 kg 50 kg 50

Red lentil 30 kg 50 kg 700

Chickpea 40 kg 50 kg 300

Total 1,880


that.served.her.well.when.learning.the.Natural.Colony.Transfer.(NCT).process.of. transferring. indigenous.Apis.cerana. indica.bees. from.nature. into.a.bee.box..Very. soon.she.was.successful. in. transferring.bees. into.bee.boxes. -.a.great.achievement.as.this.is.a.much.specialised.technique.that.usually.takes.new.trainees.weeks. to. learn..

Omnatai.enjoys.conducting.NCTs.Vimaltai,.a.fellow.trainee..She.does.not.feel.that.the.activity.is.difficult;.it.just.takes.time.and.patience..“My best experience is filling bees into bee boxes. If someone finds bees, I leave everything at home, even if I haven’t cooked, and rush there. My husband and children do not mind. Sometimes, I wake up at 4 am, to cook and keep things at home ready, before leaving. It is not too tough to manage housework, farm work and beekeeping”.shares.the.enthusiastic.beekeeper..

She.perceives.the.increased.yields.of.chillies,.chickpea.and.mango.on.her.1.5.acre.farm,.to.be.the.biggest.benefit.from.beekeeping..With.the.supplementary.income.obtained.from.these.she.hopes.to.spend.for.her.children’s.needs.and.for.purchasing.food..

Omnatai.has.had.her. fair. share.of.sceptics.. “Some.people.say. ‘Bees.sting,.why.do.you.want.to.do.this?’.I.tell.them,.‘I.am.interested,.that’s.why.’”Omnatai.hopes.to.expand.her.number.of.bee.boxes,.even.willing.to. invest.personal.funds.if.needed..


MADHYA PRADESH

UTMT.is.the.technical.support.partner.in.beekeeping.to.Reliance.Foundation’s.

(RF). Bij. programme. in. the. state.. In. partnership. with. RF,. we. trained. 270.

new.farmers.in.Seoni,.Chindwara,.Panna.and.Mandla.districts..Hand.holding.

support.to.farmers.in.Khurai.and.Seoni.blocks.who.were.trained.the.previous.

year.continued..

The key highlights of the programme were:

Beekeeping inputs:.Tailoring.workshops.were.conducted.for.12.women.from.

an.SHG.to.make.beekeeping.inputs.like.swarm.bags.and.bee.veils..4.carpenters.

were.also.trained.in.Seoni.for.making.wooden.beeboxes..

Beekeeping Master Trainers:. 12. local. Master. Trainers. were. developed. to.

provide. technical. support. in. Seoni. and. Chindwara. districts..


Divarsi Dhurve– Beekeeper, 45,

Amadana (Jamai), Chhindwara

Before.attending.UTMT’s.beekeeping.

training. sessions. the. importance. of.

bees. as. pollinators. was. unknown.

to. Divarsi. Dhurve. an. enthusiastic.

beekeeper. from. Chindwara. district..

By. taking. up. beekeeping. he. has.

experienced. an. increase. in. yield.

for. crops. like. corn,. ladies. finger.

and. sponge. gourd. earning. him. an.

additional. income. of. Rs. 4,750.

He.now.plans.to.increase.the.number.

of. bee-boxes. and. place. them. in. his.

farm.in.order.to.increase.agricultural.

yields. through. bee-pollination...

Crops Before beekeeping After beekeeping Increase in Income

Corn 400 kg 500 kg 1400

Soyabean 30 kg 45 kg

Ladies Finger 90 kg 100 kg 1600

Bitter Gourd 60 kg 80 kg -

Sponge gourd 80 kg 100 kg 1750

Chillies 135 kg 200 kg -

Total 4750


INNOVATIONS

We. piloted. two. key. innovations. in. Maharashtra. and. Gujarat. that. yielded.

encouraging. results:.

· Low cost mud hives: .In.order.to.reduce.the.cost.of.beeboxes,.low.cost.mud.

hives.and.wall.hives.were.introduced.in.both.states..Women.beekeepers.

from.Dhule.took.this.innovation.one.step.further.by.making.moveable.mud.

hives.

· Working with two more indigenous bee species:.Apis.florea.and.Trigona:.

A.group.of.technical.staff.learned.techniques.of.managing.these.varities.

of.bees..Field.trials.were.initiated.in.2.villages,.with.learnings.shared.across.

states.


New Model Conceptualisation:

One. of. the. key. takeaways. of. our.

five. years. of. work. was. establishing.

the. usefulness. of. beekeeping. as. an.

agricultural.input.to.small.farmers..A.

number. of. internal. discussions. and.

brainstorming. sessions. were. held.

facilitated.by.our.Board.member,.Mr.

Amitabh. Mall,. to. make. the. model.

more. impactful.. One. key. strand.

identified. was. the. provision. of.

pollination. services. to. farmers. in.

their. own. and. neighbouring. villages..

by. beekeepers.. A. team. of. BCG.

volunteers.and.UTMT’s.team.lead.by.

Shylaja.Nair,.Director,.Monitoring.and.

Evaluation. worked. intensively. from.

July. –.December.2016. to.arrive. two.

variants. of. a. new. model.. These. will.

be. piloted. in. 2016-17.

· Some technical innovations tried this year were:

· New.methods.of.box.filling. like.division.using.nuclear.hive.(nuclear.

hive. is.also.used.to.help.small.colonies.maintain. temperature).

· Dividing.one.natural.colony.into.2.or.more.boxes.during.Natural.Colony.

Transfer.(NCT)..3.beeboxes.were.filled.from.one.natural.colony.in.Moti.

koshbadi.village.in.Gujarat.

· Using cow urine (gaumutra) in bee boxes to control wax moth infestation:

Wax.moths.are.a.known.enemy.of.bees.leading.to.absconding..The.use.

of.gaumutra.lead.to.good.results–.majority.reported.reduced.wax.moth.

attacks.

· Placing a mix of turmeric and wheat flour.around.the.box.to.control.ant.

attacks.was.also.initiated..


VOLUNTEERSAND INTERNS

Richard Wilson, Western Sydney University, AustraliaRichard’s.creative.eye.and.skill.with.the.camera.came.in.handy.at.a.time.when.

we.needed.team.profile.videos..The.outputs.were.a.set.of.engaging.videos.

showcasing.life.at.UTMT.through.the.eyes.of.its.people..Richard.also.created.

valuable.content.for.our.social.media.platforms.

Olivia Vicioso, Mount Holyoke College, U.S.ABased.in.our.new.Bhopal,.Madhya.Pradesh.office,.Olivia.assisted.on.multiple.

tasks.aimed.at.developing.communication.material..Her.outputs.consisted.

of. beekeeper. case. studies. and. videos,. great. photographs. and. impact.

documentation.


Carly Forcade, Mount Holyoke College, U.S.ACarly.created.6. short.videos.on.our.

new. women. beekeepers. in. Gujarat.

and. Maharashtra,. which. are. used. in.

promos,. on. social. media.. Her. stint.

took. her. to. many. villages. in. the.

twostates.where.she.enjoyed.a.taste.

of. rural. life. in. the. monsoons.

Kaitlin Brondum, Institut Catholique de Paris, FranceKaitlin.worked.on.developing.an.internal.reference.manual.for.our.beekeeping.

programme,.detailing.steps.in.programme.implementation.with.inputs.from.

field.staff..The.manual.is.used.as.an.important.orientation.tool.for.new.joinees.

and.others.interested.in.UTMT’s.work.

Madelaine Veronese, Western Sydney University, Australia:With. a. strong. background. in.

branding. and. designing. Madelaine.

was. very. helpful. in. designing. our.

Annual. Report.. She. also. assisted. us.

by.photographing.the.UTMT.running.

contingent. at. the. Mumbai. Marathon.

2016.


EMPLOYEEENGAGEMENT

RBL car and bike rally to Jawhar block, Palghar district, Maharashtra

A.group.of.25.employees.from.RBL.bank.organised.a.car.and.bike.rally.to.

our.project.in.Jawhar,.Maharashtra..They.enjoyed.trekking.through.streams.

and.rocks.to.reach.a.beebox.on.a.picturesque.hill.farm..Part.of.the.program.

included.a.treasure.hunt.with.questions.on.bees.and.their.importance.in.the.

food.system..Clues.placed.in.select.spots.led.the.first.successful.team.to.a.

“treasure”.–.honey!.The.trip.concluded.with.a.local.village.lunch.prepared.by.

a.women’s.Self.Help.Group..


Honey stalls at Kotak Mahindra Bank, Nomura, Godrej Industries and IIFL Holdings

For.Diwali,.the.UTMT.team.set.up.honey.

stalls. at. corporate. offices. of. Kotak.

Mahindra.Bank,.Nomura.Services.India.Pvt.

Ltd,.Godrej.Industries.and.IIFL.Holdings.

Ltd..A.percentage.of.the.proceeds.were.

used. to. deliver. beekeeping. training. in.

Gujarat..


FUNDRAISINGEVENT

STANDARD CHARTERED MUMBAI MARATHON 2016

This. year. we. received. tremendous.

support. from. an. enthusiastic. RBL

contingent.of.over.100.runners.and.60.

online.donors..With.the.funds.raised.

at. the. Mumbai. Marathon. we. have.

been.able.to.support.1000.marginal.

farmers. across. Gujarat,. Maharashtra.

and. Madhya. Pradesh.

These. farmers.earned.an.additional. income.of.over.2. lakh. rupees. through.

beekeeping..We.have.also.been.able.to.sustain.1000.indigenous.bee.colonies,.

vital.for.pollination.support.in.villages..


URBANBEEKEEPING

URBAN BEEKEEPING

We.limited.our.urban.beekeeping.activities.in.16-2015.too,.instead.directing.

our.energies.towards.expanding.the.rural.programme..We.did.have.a.handful.

of.beeboxes.on.a.private.farm.in.Alibag,.which.was.later.discontinued.

We’ve.always.loved.talking.to.kids.about.why.bees.matter!.Our.session.with.

Grade.4.and.5.students.of.Cathedral.and.John.Connon.School,.Mumbai.was.no.

exception..Vijaya.Pastala,.Founder.of.UTMT,.led.the.fun.evening,.highlighting.

how. bees. pollinate. crops. through. a. fun. cotton. balls-with-coloured-chalk.

activity.with.the.students.


UTMTIN THE MEDIA

During.a.follow-up.visit.to.a.village. in.Hoshangabad.district. in.Madhya.Pradesh,.a.traditional.honey.

hunter-turned-beekeeper. was. extracting. honey. from. his. bee-box.. I. noticed. that. he. was. pleasantly.

smiling..When.I.asked.him.the.reason.behind.his.smile,.he.said,.“I.do.not.need.to.go.deep.in.the.forest.

and.risk.my.life.to.hunt.beehives.anymore..The.bees.in.my.box.go.and.bring.honey.for.me!.I.realised.

then.the.difference.my.work.made,.and.its.contribution.towards.reduced.forest.dependency.for.honey,”.

recounted.Saurabh.Vaity,.Programme.Associate,.Under.The.Mango.Tree.(UTMT).

Vaity.is.one.among.15.UTMT.staff.members,.who.work.in.tribal.pockets.of.11.districts.across.Gujarat,.

Maharashtra.and.Madhya.Pradesh.to.enhance.the.livelihoods.of.marginal.farmers.by.training.them.in.

indigenous.beekeeping.and.thus.improving.their.incomes.through.enhanced.yields.and.honey.

Founded.in.2009.by.Vijaya.Pastala,.a.development.professional.with.over.two.decades.of.experience.

at. the. World. Bank,. KfW. Development. Bank,. European. Commission,. Department. for. International.

Development.and.the.Aga.Khan.Foundation,.UTMT.seeks. to.diversify. livelihoods.and. improve.rural.

incomes. by. promoting. low-cost. indigenous. beekeeping.

Under.The.Mango.Tree,.Saturday.4th.April.2015,.Anirudh.Nair


A.key.problem.Pastala.initially.confronted.was.that.

small.beekeeping.societies.across.India.produced.

various. flavours. of. honey. that. never. reached.

urban.markets..While. India’s.diverse.flora. led. to.

production. of. various. forms. of. regional. honeys,.

the.urban.consumer.was.only.given.a.single.kind.

of.uniform.tasting.honey..Furthermore,.the.typical.

value. chain. for. agricultural. commodities. –. from.

plough.to.plate.–.is.long,.arduous.and.unprofitable.

as.farmers.often.receive.only.around.25.per.cent.

of.the.retail.price.of.their.produce..As.bees.play.a.

crucial.role.as.pollinators.in.increasing.agricultural.

productivity,.a.powerful.idea.took.shape:.what.if.

farmers.were.trained.to.add.bee.boxes.on.farms.to.

facilitate.cross-pollination.and.were.also.provided.

with.markets.to.sell.the.collected.honey?

UTMT’s.initiatives.are.environmentally.sustainable.

as. the. indigenous. bee. Apis. cerana. indica. is.

locally. available. and. efficiently. pollinates. the.

crops. grown. by. the. farmers.. This. is. known. to.

enhance.agricultural.yields.by.30.to.60.per.cent.

on.an.average.and.promote.crop.diversification,.

thereby. increasing. household. food. security. and.

generating. marketable. surpluses. translating. to.

household. cash. earnings.. In. the. second. year.

after.beekeeping.training,.an.additional.stream.of.

income. from. sale. of. honey. and. beeswax. is. also.

created.

An. important. aspect. of. UTMT’s. work. is. their.

partnerships.with.NGOs.who.already.have.a.field.

presence. in. target. areas.. This. enables. access.

to. the. local. community. and. better. community.

mobilisation..A.few.partners.include.the.National.

Bank.for.Agriculture.and.Rural.Development,.BAIF.

Development. Research. Foundation,. Watershed.

Organisation. Trust,. Vrutti,. Gujarat. Livelihood.

Promotion. Company,. Indian. Grameen. Services,.

and. Aga. Khan. Rural. Support. Programme.

Bees. are. dying. the. world. over. due. to. various.

factors,.one.of.them.being.the.use.of.insecticides.

called. neonicotinoids. that. are. banned. in. the.

European.Union,.but.continue.to.be.used.in.India..

Scientists. estimate. that. globally,. the. survival. of.

over.80.per.cent.of.plant.species.depends.directly.

on. pollinating. insects,. and. more. specifically.

on. bees.. Four. of. the. main. food. groups. on. our.

plate.–.fruits,.vegetables,.pulses,.oilseeds.–.need.

bees. for. pollination.. Because. they. are. sensitive.

to. their. environment,. bees. are. considered. as.

bio-indicators,. and. a. decline. in. their. population.

is. expected. to. have. a. dramatic. impact. on. our.

biodiversity. and. food. security.. UTMT’s. model.

boosts. the. depleting. bee. population. in. project.

areas,. encourages. bee-friendly. wild. plants. and.

discourages. chemical. farming.

UTMT’s. beekeeping. model. has. received.

recognition. from. respected. institutions. in. the.

development.sphere.–.a.key.highlight.was.when.

it.won.the.World.Bank.Development.Marketplace.

Award.in.2013,.an.award.given.to.the.most.scalable.

rural. development. innovation,. which. helped. to.

expand.their.operations.in.Madhya.Pradesh..More.

recently.in.February.2015,.they.were.selected.for.

the.Social.Innovation.Acceleration.Programme.of.

the.Marico. Innovation.Foundation. that. identifies.

social. enterprises. with. potential. for. large. scale.

social. impact. and. helps. them. scale. up. in. a.

sustainable. manner.

Over. 3,000. farmers. have. been. trained. in.

beekeeping.by.UTMT.in.the.three.states.since.it.was.

founded,.apart. from. the.addition.of.beekeeping.

to. the. livelihoods. of. women. self-help. groups.

from.2014..“One.of.my.most.enduring.memories.

is.that.of.Somabhai.Mura,.a.marginal.farmer.from.

Dandwal. village. in. Valsad. district. of. Gujarat.. He.

had.told.us.about.how.when.he.was.a.child,.they.

would. extract. honey. from. hives. by. squeezing.

them.and.use.the.combs.to.make.a.very.nutritious.

bhaji.(side.dish)..Today,.his.village.has.close.to.60.

bee-boxes,.where.villagers.understand.the.crucial.

role. bees. play. as. pollinators. for. their. crops. and.

most. importantly,. unsustainable. extraction. of.

honey.has.stopped,”.says.Sujana.Krishnamoorthy,.

Executive. Director,. UTMT.

Web.link:.http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/

resources/ngo-profiles/-9922under-the-mango-

tree.html


FINANCIALSINCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT


BALANCESHEET


You can do your bit by gifting:

•. A.bee.veil.and.swarm.bag.made.by.local.women’s.Self.Help.Groups:.Rs.300

•. A.bee.box.made.by.local.carpenter.groups:.Rs.1500

•. A.beekeeping.starter.kit:.Rs.3000

•. A.honey.extraction.kit:.Rs.4000

•. A.farmer’s.beekeeping.training.and.practical.hand-holding.for.one.year:..Rs.10,000

For.more.information.please.contact:[email protected]

We look forward to your continued support, keep buzzing!

GETINVOLVED


Under The Mango Tree Society, 2016Contact: [email protected]

A-412, Byculla Service Industries Premises CHSL,

Dadoji Konddeo Cross Marg, Byculla, Mumbai - 400027

Tel.: +91-22-23753110

ANNUAL REPORT - UTMT Society...Crops Before beekeeping After beekeeping Increased economic value...

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