THE HONEY MONEY

As major honey brands were caught using imported adulterated material, Kashmir’s organic honey story could get an instant foothold in major markets if the systems turn supportive, reports Khalid Bashir Gura

- Khalid Bashir Gura

At a time when people are finding ways to boost immunity against Covid-19, especially in winters, honey is in demand. But the question that haunts consumers most is how pure is it, especially the corporate honey. People want to be sure that they are not consuming sugar.

The recent report of adulteration by India’s leading honey brands to maximise profits have made people sceptical. Brands that made negative news include Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, and Zandu after Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) investigation revealed that out of 13 brands tested, only three passed the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test. The testing was carried out in a German lab, perhaps one of the few that has the capacity to offer exact details about the composition of a product at a molecular level.

ORGANIC HONEY

It is in this backdrop that the honey produced and marketed in Kashmir has an advantage. It is completely natural and lacks any impurity. But the keep-keepers say they lack support in getting their story of purity of product heard.

Umar Mukthar, 27, a resident of Deedkot Kupwara, is one of these beekeepers who keep the hope alive at a time when the profit drives the corporate to play with the health of consumers. After completing postgraduation in commerce, he followed his father, Syed Mukthar, 61, a government employee and a successful apiculturist.

“I inherited the interest in beekeeping from my father,” Umar said. “Soon after finishing my high school, I kept hovering around the bee colonies.” As schools were shut for winter in Kashmir, he found a pretext for doing what he loved: rearing bees.