‘Beekeeping, honey production profitable business’
PHOTO: AFP
A three-day training workshop on Queen Rearing and Modern Beekeeping was conducted by Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) on Sunday.
Experts at the workshop said, “Beekeeping is a profitable business and production can be increased only by taking strict steps to control deforestation and pesticide use in agriculture.” They said, “The government should help beekeepers by improving the value chain industry and to provide access to national and foreign markets.
The workshop was organized by PMAS-AAUR Department of Entomology under the Billion Tree Honey Initiative. The aim is to create awareness of value-added products of honeybees and to provide an excellent orientation for starting beekeeping as a hobby and a profitable enterprise. PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman was the chief guest while more than 30 participants including professional beekeepers, persons interested to start beekeeping, students and researchers of R&D organizations attended the workshop.
The participants got hands-on training in terms of queen breeding, reduction in post-harvest losses, colony management, honey extraction techniques, nutrition, pests and diseases, and pollination of entomophilous crops.
Dr. Qamar uz Zaman while highlighting the importance of bees' flora and wildlife, said, “Bee farming should be promoted in the country and the workshop is an excellent orientation for those starting beekeeping as a profitable enterprise.” He appreciated the efforts of the Department of Entomology in organising this workshop and hoped that the Department would continue its efforts in the future by organizing such type of training sessions.
He said, “Technical expertise and practical training is necessary for beekeeping. The University faculty must start teaching, training and research work on honeybee breeding and management for production of honey and other by-products to earn foreign exchange through export of bee products.”
The speakers also elaborated on the challenges of diseases and mites faced by honey bee farming and how to manage them.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2022.