Buzzing Back to Nature: Kulgam Man Leads Eco-Farming Revival with Honeybees
Kulgam, June 13: In a quiet village nestled in South Kashmir’s apple belt, the hum of honeybees is replacing the toxic hiss of chemical sprays. Shabir Ahmad Itoo, a 34-year-old former college lecturer from Sonigam village in Kulgam district, is leading a grassroots movement to revive organic farming through apiculture—and he’s doing it one hive at a time.
A postgraduate with an M.Phil in Physical Education, Itoo left behind a short-lived academic career to follow his passion for bees. What began as a personal experiment in 2015 with 22 native Apis cerana colonies has evolved into a model of sustainable agriculture that’s now creating livelihoods, transforming orchards, and offering a natural alternative to harmful chemical practices.
Today, Itoo manages 200 thriving bee colonies across his five-kanal orchard. His approach centres on one key idea: natural pollination. With honeybees as his allies, Itoo has eliminated the use of costly and harmful Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs), which have long been associated with health concerns and declining soil quality.
“Excessive use of chemical PGRs is damaging not only the produce but also our bodies and environment,” he said. “With bees, we are returning to an age-old, eco-friendly way of farming that respects nature’s rhythm.”
The results are striking. Since adopting bee-assisted pollination, Itoo reports that his apple yield has nearly doubled—from 1,000 to almost 2,000 boxes per season—while the quality and uniformity of the fruit have improved significantly. “Bees ensure thorough fertilisation. They don’t leave a single flower untouched,” he said.
But Itoo’s vision goes beyond his orchard. Over the years, he has trained more than 200 farmers across south and central Kashmir, teaching them how to use bees for pollination, capture swarms, maintain hives, and move away from dependency on synthetic farm inputs. He supplies both equipment and bees, often catching swarms himself by locating the queen and coaxing the colony into a new hive, sometimes even with his bare hands.
The economic benefits are just as compelling. While a litre of chemical PGR can cost between Rs 15,000 and Rs 24,000, Itoo offers the deployment of 10 hives for just Rs 1,500 for a 20-day period—timed to coincide with the peak bloom in April. This not only boosts productivity but also dramatically reduces input costs.
Itoo now earns approximately Rs 6 lakh annually from honey sales and an additional Rs 2 lakh from pollination services. He has also generated employment for four people and is receiving government support under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), which offers up to 80% subsidy for aspiring apiculturists.
To ensure the survival of his colonies during harsh Kashmiri winters, Itoo migrates them to warmer states like Rajasthan—a practice adopted by professional beekeepers across the country.
His efforts are also gaining digital momentum. Through his Facebook page Buzzing Beekeepers, Itoo shares videos, insights, and success stories that have reached millions, furthering his mission to promote bee-based farming as a path to safer food and healthier farming practices.
But there’s a warning too. Itoo is deeply concerned about the rampant and unregulated use of pesticides in orchards, which pose a serious threat to bee populations. He advises orchardists to spray only during early morning hours, when bee activity is minimal.
“For me, this isn’t just about honey or profits,” he said. “This is about health, ecology, and a future free from chemical dependence. Bees are not just pollinators—they’re protectors of our ecosystem.”
From the lecture hall to the orchard, Shabir Ahmad Itoo is proving that small changes—guided by nature—can yield big results. Through bees, he is building a sustainable, toxin-free future for Kashmir’s orchards, one flower at a time.
