China can help Pakistan develop bee products sector

Chinese official says cooperation of both countries in this field enjoys broad prospects

BEIJING:

Billion Tree Honey initiative launched by PM Imran Khan will be a workable project to alleviate poverty and develop the bee products sector, said China Bee Products Association (CBPA) Chairman Yang Rong.

“It will lead to broad prospects of Pak-China cooperation in this field,” he added.

Rich natural and human resources have equipped Pakistan with favourable conditions to develop the bee products industry. Most of Pakistan’s land is subtropical, which provides a warm climate for vegetating nectariferous plants.

“Meanwhile, mature agriculture and diverse fruit plantation also lay a foundation for industrial development,” Yang analysed.

He said, “Development of the bee products sector, a typical labour-intensive industry, will effectively alleviate local poverty in Pakistan. This method has made fruitful achievements in China.”

“A lot of Chinese local governments have chosen developing apiculture since 2013 and successfully solved poverty, even led the regions to prosperity. Considering the problems of employment and rural revitalisation, the mature experiences of China are also suitable for Pakistan.”

The apiculture in Pakistan is facing challenges of pests and obsolete technology, which can be solved under Pak-China cooperation.

“Bee mite has been reckoned as one of the biggest menaces of Pakistani agriculture. From 1908 to 1979, Pakistan tried to import bees and develop apiculture 17 times, but all of those attempts failed due to bee mite.”

However, he added, “Nowadays, through scientific breeding, drug treatment, and the most advanced physical treatment, Chinese beekeepers have controlled it very well and at a world leading level. We can share all of those techniques with Pakistan to improve its apiculture.”

He said that under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agriculture cooperation, both countries can share experiences and techniques, such as scale development of apiculture, vegetating nectariferous plants, scientific payoffs, bee species breeding among others.

Yang emphasised that China, as the largest bee products producer and consumer in the world, has a full range of mature solutions to develop apiculture.

“Pakistan can import from China techniques and production modes, meanwhile export bee products to the Chinese market where bee products including honey, bee milk, bee wax, and especially propolis are in great demands.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2020.

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