A centre of excellence (COE/IBDC) on bee keeping has been established at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi. Honey processing plant along with bottling machine has been successfully installed on 23 October, 2018. The processing plant is semi-automatic and it can process 500 kg honey per day.
Dr. Bijendra Singh, Director of institute has explained that the honey processing plant can be utilized for processing of honey. Besides this, it can be utilized for the training purpose to the farmers, bee-keepers and other stakeholders involved in bee-keeping. In addition to this, processing plant and bottling machine can be utilized on a service basis in the region. The honey processed from this plant is free from wax and other impurities and it can be directly utilized for commercial sale.