PM eyes sweet success through ‘Billion Tree Honey’

Says opposition sought NRO in writing by proposing massive changes in NAB law

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched “Billion Tree Honey” initiative hoping that marketing of 70,000 metric tons of honey will generate an income between Rs35-43 billion and generate around 87,000 green jobs.

The premier participated in the launching ceremony of the Billion Tree Honey initiative in Islamabad, which is a part of his vision Clean and Green Pakistan.

It aims at promoting tree plantation to support production of honey in the country under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP).

Accordingly, plantation of saplings including Kao, Phulai, Ber, Kikar and other bee flora is being encouraged under TBTTP.

While addressing the audience, the premier maintained that honey production from forests will create jobs for the locals, saying once they see that they can earn money, they will start protecting the forests.

“We have 12 climatic zones which is very unique; 12 different zones mean 12 different habitats so we can make honey of different varieties,” PM Imran said.

In his speech, the premier observed that reducing environmental degradation was among his government’s biggest responsibilities and that the government was taking measures to rescue as well as improve forest cover, rivers and air pollution.

He also highlighted the potential of growing olive and avocado trees in the country. Through olive plantation, he said, Pakistan could export olive oil and avoid import of edible oil.

Among other things, the premier observed that the previous governments never thought about such initiatives and their whole focused remained on their five-year term.

“We want to leave a better and greener Pakistan for generations to come,” PM Imran said, adding that the PTI government was ridiculed for planning to plant one billion trees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but the foreign NGOs confirmed the Billion Tree Tsunami Programme.

Meanwhile, an official statement said, an exclusive analysis was conducted for honey production in the country to device a mechanism for encouraging promotion of bee flora, improving quality of honey production, providing livelihood to the beekeepers and sustain the activity through provision of financial resources.

“It is estimated that about 10,000 beekeepers are using 300,000 colonies for producing 7,500 metric tons of honey annually,” the statement said.

It further noted that the potential can be enhanced to produce 70,000 metric tons of honey from the same harvest by using modern beekeeping gears, training on latest techniques, standardisation and certification of the product and intensive marketing.

“It is anticipated that marketing of 70,000 metric tons of honey will generate an income of about Rs35-43 billion in the national economy and provide about 87,000 green jobs,” the statement read.

The Billion Tree Honey initiative is being launched by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) as a coherent effort of different ministries and agencies to promote apiculture in the country.

The existing forestry resource available in the protected areas and the new areas being planted and regenerated under TBTTP until 2022-23 is estimated to expand up to about 5.5 million hectares.

The statement maintained that the requisite forest resource shall be used by the beekeepers to produce honey specific to particular flora and shall be branded accordingly.

The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission will provide training to the selected beekeepers along with technical support, follow-up of on-ground activities and product extraction.

The certified beekeepers will be provided financial support through Kamyab Jawan Programme.

Additionally, the statement said, the Ministry of Science and Technology will be responsible for certifying the honey produced under the programme.

As an option, the certified product will be purchased by the National Agriculture Technology Park – a public limited company – and branded and marketed as “Billion Tree Honey”.

The NATP will provide an end-to-end solution for promoting and marketing quality honey nationally and internationally.

Meanwhile, the premier asked the ruling party’s and government spokespersons to present before the nation the amendments that the opposition had proposed in the laws governing the National Accountability Bureau in a bid to make the top graft buster toothless.

Chairing a meeting of the spokespersons, PM Imran reiterated that the opposition parties claimed that they had never sought any NRO – reprieve – from the government but they actually sought an NRO in writing through the proposals they made to amend NAB laws.