A woman from Kadamhia village in Bihar’s Bagaha subdivision is scripting a new story of self-reliance. Living on the fringes of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Suman Devi has built a successful beekeeping enterprise with her husband Satyendra Singh, producing pure honey and supplying it across India and abroad.
What began as a small initiative has now grown into a thriving business, with demand for their honey reaching not only different parts of Bihar but also Delhi, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and even Dubai.
Suman Devi said she took formal training in beekeeping about six years ago after being motivated by the Block Horticulture Officer under the horticulture mission. Later, with the support of then Bagaha Sub-Divisional Magistrate Deepak Mishra, she received a loan of Rs 4 lakh under the Centre’s PMFME scheme, which proved to be a turning point in her entrepreneurial journey.
Initially, she faced ridicule and doubts from villagers and relatives, but she remained determined and focused on her goal.
Currently, Suman Devi owns 50 bee boxes. During the winter season, each box produces an average of around 15 kg of honey per month, resulting in a total monthly output of nearly 750 kg.
With honey selling at around Rs 500 per kg, she earns up to Rs 3.75 lakh per month. This income has significantly strengthened her family’s financial position.
Recalling her earlier struggles, Suman said she and her husband once worked as labourers in a factory in another state. Troubled by difficult living conditions and social taunts, she decided to return to her village and start something of her own. She initially experimented with organic farming and mushroom cultivation before travelling to Rajasthan for a month-long training in beekeeping.
Today, she markets her products under the brand name “Rudra Natural Honey and Soap”. Her honey is now also exported to Dubai. She believes that with hard work and self-confidence, any woman can become self-reliant.
Inspired by her journey, nearly 150 women have taken up self-employment, of whom around 70 are now fully established and economically independent. Suman has emerged as a role model for hundreds of women in the region.
Speaking to Media, Suman said beekeeping is relatively easier in her area due to its proximity to dense forests. “The forest begins just about 100 metres from our village, and flowers bloom throughout the year. This gives our honey a special mixed flavour and medicinal quality,” she said, adding that their honey is laboratory-tested in Lucknow and is in demand even outside Bihar.
She said despite initial hardships, their honey is now supplied to SSB personnel canteens, and is purchased by senior officials, including DIGs and commandants, as well as local residents.
“We received government support in the form of loans, which helped us immensely. The business takes time and carries risks. We incurred losses for nearly two years, but proper training and perseverance helped us succeed. I have also been felicitated,” she said.
Her husband, Satyendra Singh, said they first learned that beekeeping training was available through the horticulture department. “Around 35 of us took training together and started work, but we were not successful initially. Later, after meeting officials, we were sent to Rajasthan for advanced training, which made a big difference,” he said.
