THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sathyan Elias cannot forget the sweetness of the honey his friend brought to school when he was 12 years old. That's when the dream of having a beehive at home started. He bought a nest and kept it in his yard, but was stung by bees and was down with fever for a month. He did not give up with that and started putting in more effort. 57-year-old Sathyan, a native of Palode, has been an excellent beekeeper for more than four and a half decades.
Being unadulterated honey, it is in high demand. It is sold at Rs 300 per kg and a good income is obtained through this. Satyan's father died at a young age, so the responsibility of the family was on his shoulders. During his student days, he used to take honey to the nearby market and sell it. At that time, the price of honey was Rs 16 per kg. Satyan stopped his studies with Pre-degree and went into full-time beekeeping.
Realizing that bees can gather the most honey from rubber trees, Sathyan planted rubber on four acres adjacent to the house and expanded the cultivation. Along with this, around 200 nests were also established with the consent of others in a radius of four and a half kilometers from Thalikunnu to Anakulam.
There are three employees to help out and there is his elder son, Rahul, a software engineer. It was beekeeping that helped Sathyan with the marriage of the second daughter Reshma and the engineering studies of the youngest son Alexander. His wife Bindu is also with him with all kinds of support.
Harvest 4 times a year
The training at Vellayani Agricultural College has helped a lot in agriculture. Harvesting begins in February. Honey is harvested four times a year. One kilo of honey can be obtained from one hive. Most of them are regular customers who buy without bargaining. It is also sold in markets in surrounding areas. Income decreases during the rainy season.
'Bees are one of the most hardest working creatures. They are my inspiration.'
- Satyan Elias