Bee venom: Why this rare product costs up to Rs 1 crore per kg

New Delhi: Beekeeping can offer an additional source of income for farmers who collect bee venom (apitoxin), a specialised product that can fetch up to Rs 1 crore per kilogram in the international market, according to experts. Farmers in Bihar’s West Champaran, Jehanabad and other districts have begun exploring this business along with conventional honey production.

The process requires a specific honeybee species, specialised equipment and careful handling. Entomologists say collecting bee venom is a technical task, and the amount obtained from a hive is limited.

The international bee venom market was valued at around $425 million in 2025, according to the experts. Demand for the product has helped create interest in venom collection among some beekeepers.

Which honeybee species is used to collect venom?

Dr Neeraj Kumar, an entomologist and the officer in charge of the Regional Research Centre at Madhopur, said the choice of honeybee species is an important part of the process. The species commonly used for commercial venom collection is Apis mellifera, he said.

The venom cannot be collected in the same way from every species of honeybee, he explained and said beekeepers need to select the appropriate species and keep the colonies in suitable conditions before they can begin extraction.

According to Kumar, around 10,000 honeybees are needed to collect one gram of venom. Only building a colony of that size does not guarantee successful extraction. Beekeepers also need the right equipment and a suitable setup.

How is bee venom collected?

Bee venom collection requires an extractor and other specialised equipment. The process cannot be carried out effectively on bees flying freely outdoors. The colonies need to be kept in fixed locations, usually in managed hives, so the extraction equipment can be used.

Even with bees housed in a box, the quantity collected is limited. Kumar said a single box could yield around 5 grams of venom. The amount depends on the colony and the conditions under which extraction takes place.

These requirements make the venom collection more specialised than ordinary honey production. Beekeepers need to manage their colonies carefully and learn how to use the equipment before entering the trade.

Bee venom market

The international price of bee venom can reach Rs 1 crore per kilogram, according to the experts. The market was worth approximately $425 million in 2025 and has continued to increase in value, said the experts.

The high quoted price applies to a specialised product that requires considerable effort to collect. Producing a kilogram of venom would involve extracting very small quantities from many bees, making the scale of production and the cost of equipment important factors for anyone considering the business.