With the increasing demand for farming products, setting up a beekeeping or poultry farm is an excellent idea, particularly if you have an interest in these activities and an inclination for physical work and entrepreneurship. Today poultry farming has transformed itself into an organised industry, and helps play a major role in the fight against malnutrition and poverty among the rural masses. Moreover, poultry farming requires not only less capital investment but also ensures quick returns, if handled well. Beekeeping can also be highly productive and a remunerative venture. There are several ways to learn the practical skills of poultry farming and beekeeping. First, there are government poultry farms in different states that provide training and extension services to entrepreneurs and farmers. Regular visits and advice by government poultry extension staff help farmers in their day-to-daywork. Second, most agriculture universities offer extension courses for a number of farming-related programmes. G B Pant University of Agriculture & Technology’s College of Forestry and Hill Agriculture in Uttarakhand offers training to farmers and others through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). As for beekeeping, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has started two advanced training courses. One course is meant to impart knowledge on queen bee rearing and bee products and the other on bee pathology. Such courses are organised for farmers every year. In addition, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission runs short two-week to one-month courses in beekeeping and other agro- farming practices. If you wish to take up formal training programmes, the National Institute of Open Schooling (http://www.nos.org/poultry.htm) offers a one-year course in poultry farming. IGNOU (www.ignou.ac.in) recently started a six-month certificate programme in poultry farming. These distance-learning programmes involve practical work at regional centres. The Institute of Poultry Management, Pune, is possibly the only specialised institute in India with several programmes in poultry farming and management. Usha Albuquerque

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