Impact
The work behind the honey.
Training programmes, government partnerships, and the community work that makes the honey credible.
125
Beekeepers trained
4
Districts covered
4
Village programmes
2022
RAMP partner since
Partnership
01
Government of Sikkim - RAMP
The Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance programme is a Government of Sikkim initiative, supported by the World Bank, to professionalise rural agribusinesses across the state. ApiCare has been a recognised RAMP partner since 2022.
Our beekeeper onboarding, training curriculum, and quality protocols are reviewed against state-level standards. We work directly with the Sikkim Department of Commerce & Industries on programme design.
For us, RAMP recognition is both a quality stamp and operational scaffolding. Without it, we could not have moved from twelve beekeepers to one hundred and twenty-five in four years.
[ Photo: RAMP review meeting ]
Annual RAMP review at the Department of Commerce & Industries, Gangtok.
Training
02
The training programme
Every beekeeper who joins ApiCare goes through a structured training programme run by our Master Trainers in their own village. The curriculum covers hive management, hygiene protocols, harvest timing, and documentation for traceability.
The work of training is not to replace traditional knowledge. It is to add the small set of practices that make the honey legible to international buyers without losing what is distinctive about how it was produced.
Trainings run quarterly in each village. New beekeepers are paired with a mentor for their first season.
Programme structure
- 01
Onboarding
In-village introduction, FPIC consent process, baseline assessment
- 02
Equipment
Frame hives, smokers, protective gear, harvest tools
- 03
Field training
Two weeks with a Master Trainer, hands-on with their hives
- 04
First harvest
Documented and reviewed jointly - quality, weight, methodology
- 05
Quarterly cycle
Refresher trainings, peer learning, technique upgrades
Community & Training
The work happens in the villages, not in offices.
Certifications
The paperwork behind the jar.
GI Certified
GI Certified
Geographical indication for origin-linked Sikkim honey
FSSAI Approved
FSSAI Approved
Food safety approval for Indian distribution
ZED Certified
ZED Certified
MSME quality and sustainability recognition
EU Organic (In Progress)
EU Organic (In Progress)
Certification pathway currently underway