TLTP
\nISLAMABAD
\nAt a time when there has been a drastic decline in bee numbers globally due to intensive agriculture, pesticide use and climate change, commercial beekeeping is fast becoming a thriving business in Pakistan\u2019s rural areas.
\nAccording to the All Pakistan Beekeepers Trade and Exporters Association, besides providing new job opportunities to thousands of men and women, the business is helping the country earn foreign exchange through exports, mainly to Middle Eastern countries.
\nAround $6m in foreign exchange is earned annually through honey exports to S. Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, said the association.
\nPakistan currently produces around 7,500 metric tons of honey annually, with more than 8,000 beekeepers rearing exotic species in one million beehives, according to the government\u2019s Honeybee Research Institute in Islamabad (HBRI).
\nIn the financial year 2018-2019, Pakistan exported honey worth 966m rupees ($5.8m), about 260m rupees more than the year before, according to the institute.
\nIndustry insiders predict the numbers will keep going up as the country\u2019s beekeepers benefit from Pakistan\u2019s ongoing push to reforest the country under its \u201c10B Tree Tsunami\u201d project, launched in 2018.
\nRaza Khan, president of the All Pakistan Beekeepers Trade and Exporters Association, said Pakistan is producing hundred percent organic honey through modern bee farming, and demand was increasing, particularly in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.
\n\u201cOur honey is unique in the world for its natural taste, color and texture,\u201d Raza Khan said. \u201cTherefore, its demand abroad is growing fast,\u201d he added, urging the government to provide more incentives to boost the business and grant industry status to commercial beekeeping.
\n\u201cThe government should strengthen certification and quality standards of the honey so that we can also export it to the European market,\u201d Khan said.
\nFor now, bee farming is gaining traction among unskilled laborers, students and growers in remote areas of the country because it requires minimal capital and skill.
\nPrime Minister Imran Khan launched the \u201cBillion Tree Honey Initiative\u201d in December last year with the aim of increasing honey production to 70,000 metric tons in a year. The government estimates the project will help generate around 43 billion rupees ($268 million) for the national economy and provide about 87,000 green jobs. Under the program, the government has pledged to increase the plantation of specific trees and flora to improve the quality and production of honey, as well as grant interest-free loans to traders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TLTP ISLAMABAD At a time when there has been a drastic decline in bee numbers globally due to intensive agriculture, pesticide use and climate change, commercial beekeeping is fast becoming a thriving business in Pakistan\u2019s rural areas. According to the All Pakistan Beekeepers Trade and Exporters Association, besides providing new job opportunities to thousands of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n