RAWALPINDI: Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Qamaruz Zaman on Friday said Paksitan had great potential to increase the honey yield by establishing standards and new habitats.

Addressing as the chief guest at the concluding session of a three-day training workshop for beekeepers, he said the pilot phase of Billion Tree Honey (BTH) had successfully been executed by the university after organising the workshop.

The workshop was organised by the university’s Department of Entomology under BTH Pilot Phase in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) Pakistan, with the main objective to disseminating applied knowledge regarding modern beekeeping.

Participants at the workshop were practically trained in honey bee pest and disease management, honey bee seasonal management, honey harvesting, storage and marketing, production of royal jelly and other hive products, and honey market management.

Says 35 beekeepers have been trained in modern beekeeping

The vice chancellor said 35 beekeepers have been trained in modern beekeeping and the outcome had provided a sound basis for the preparation of a nationwide mega project ‘Apiculture Scaling-up Programme for Income and Rural Employment (Aspire)’.

Prof Zaman said the university in collaboration with the MoCC will also establish the accredited ‘Bee Product Standardisation and Formulation Laboratories’ for research and product development activities of all hive products.

The finding of these labs will be shared with the industry and government laboratories throughout the country for scaling up and commercialisation of all bee products, he added.

Member Punjab Assembly (MPA) Asia Amjad who was the guest of honour said the prime minister’s BTH initiative would not only be helpful in promoting tree plantation and honey production but also in poverty reduction.

She said Pakistan was blessed with unparalleled quality when it came to the taste of honey and it would soon be in the list of top producers of honey.

She appreciated the university management for taking the government’s initiatives on the front foot and playing a vital role in boosting the beekeeping sector in Pakistan.

Faculty of Crop and Food Sciences dean Prof Dr Fayyazul Hassan Sahi said that beekeeping was an important area for entrepreneurship and assured full support not only in establishing modern beekeeping enterprises but also for more collaboration in other areas as well.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021