Pakur Rajmahal Hills Forest Honey Tribal

The Rajmahal Hills of Pakur district support wild bee colonies of Apis dorsata rock bees and Apis cerana in cliff fissures and forest tree hollows, harvested seasonally by Paharia and Santhal tribals using traditional ladder-climbing and smoke techniques passed through community knowledge. Pakur wild honey has a rich multifloral flavour from the district's diverse forest vegetation and commands premium prices at tribal bazaars in Pakur and Dumka. The Jharkhand state's Minor Forest Produce cooperative programme in Pakur provides tribals with fair-price procurement for wild honey, replacing the exploitative system where tribal honey went to intermediaries at a fraction of retail value.