Stung by climate change, K-P's beekeepers struggle

For Wali Badshah, 45, a beekeeper in Kohat, the changing seasons no longer signal a time of harvest, but a season of loss. Over the past decade, the nectar-rich landscapes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have been transformed by rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns, leaving beekeepers struggling to maintain the delicate colonies that once defined the region’s honey industry. As climate change, deforestation, and pesticide use converge, the traditional honey trade—a vital lifeline for millions of workers in the province—faces an existential threat that is hitting both local livelihoods and international export markets.

Badshah has witnessed a decline in different varieties of honey production due to the gradual increase in temperature and changing weather patterns over the past several years. “Over the last 10 years, I have observed a decline in my profits, while expenses have continued to increase,” he says. “Last year, I received Beri, and sidr honey in small quantities, but I could not get other varieties of honey, especially phulai honey.”

As climate change and global warming intensify, the resulting environmental shifts have multiplied operational costs for beekeepers, destabilised their livelihoods, and driven a sharp decline in revenue across the honey trade. Badshah added that rising temperature and changing weather patterns were weakening honey bee colonies and making them more vulnerable to diseases, adding as a result, he had to spend more money on medicines and treatments to keep them healthy.

The decline in profit and rising costs over time have affected his income and he is struggling to meet daily household expenses.

Data obtained from the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) reveals that there are approximately 1.5 million Apis mellifera or the western honey bee hives in Pakistan, while the number of registered beekeepers is around 25,000.

The NARC data shows, Pakistan’s annual honey production ranges from 23,000 to 25,000 metric tons and about 8000 metric tons worth of almost 1.5 million dollars are exported.

Ashfaq Ahmad, 55, a resident of Peshawar, reveals that excessive use of pesticides on crops, vegetables and orchards is causing serious harm to honey bees.

“Along with rising temperature and changing rainfall patterns, the excessive use of pesticides on crops has also multiplied our problems,” says Ahmad. “In search of better feed, we often place our bee colonies near agricultural fields. When farmers spray pesticides, bees come into contact with these toxic chemicals and are either killed or weakened. As a result, bee populations decline, and honey production decreases.”

Ahmad explains that the excessive use of pesticides not only affects beekeepers’ revenue but also disturbs pollination which is crucial for crops and fruit production.

According to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, different varieties of honey are produced across Pakistan, including rapeseed, eucalyptus, lychee, sunflower, karanja, multi flora Himalayan, acacia, wild flora, and multi and mono floral honey.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sher Zaman Mohmand, president of the All Pakistan Beekeepers, Exporters and Honey Traders Association, said that Beri, and sidr, honey is exported to Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.

He also confirmed that changing weather patterns and habitat loss had a negative impact on honey production.

“The changes that affect honey production also directly impact international trade,” shares Mohmand. “Due to the low production, we are unable to meet the demands of international buyers and traders. Consequently, we lose our share in the international market and traders fulfill their requirements by importing honey from other countries.”

Speaking about the quality of honey produced in K-P, Mohmand said that the province produced high quality honey because it comes from areas located at higher altitudes above sea level, adding that this was the reason for its demand in the Gulf region.

He added that Beri, and sidr honey is mainly produced in Kohat, Nizampur, Cherat, Karak, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan areas, while Mohmand district was known for producing Palosa, phulai, and Lychee honey in large quantities. However, he noted that honey production had been declining for more than a decade because of steady climate shifts and deforestation.

“Twenty years ago, these areas had a larger number of sidr, phulai and other nectar rich trees,” Mohmand points out. “But today, less than half of those trees remain as with the passage of time the trees are cut down by the local communities and timber mafia.”

Mohmand said that in the current season, phulai honey production was about 40 percent, while beekeepers have suffered a 60 percent loss due to climate change and deforestation.

According to Mohmand, in 2011, about 700 containers, each containing 20,000 kg of sidr honey, were exported to Gulf countries. However, with the passage of time, production had declined, and in 2024, only some 245 containers were exported to different countries. The decline reflects a continuous reduction in revenue from the honey sector.

While highlighting the impact of climate change on honey production, Muhammad Younas, director of agriculture research (newly merged districts) and project director at Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar, said that climate change directly affected the growth and flowering of nectar producing plants which were crucial for honey production.

“In the past, sidr honey production began in August and continued till October,” he explains. “However, due to reduced flowering and decline of nectar rich flora, beekeepers now miss the August honey production and are only able to harvest honey during September and October.”

Similarly, the main season for phulai honey was April and May, but strong winds and storms in those months destroyed flowers and pollen prematurely, resulting in lower honey production, Younas explained.

Muhamad Younas further said that in the Naran, Kaghan and Kalam areas of K-P, entire apiaries are sometimes washed away by flash floods during summer season, which is another adverse impact of climate change and global warming.

“At present, the average honey production per hive ranges from 10 to 15 kg, but a decade ago the average production was 20 to 25 kg per hive,” Younas adds. “This decline is due to change in weather patterns and their negative impact on nectar producing flora. Deforestation has also reduced the nectar rich plants and trees required for honey production.”

Speaking about the role of afforestation in increasing honey production, he said that planting nectar producing trees would help improve honey yields.

The government and local communities must promote the plantation of species such as sidr, phulai and lychee which provide important feed resources to honey bees, he suggested.

In December 2020, the Billion Tree Honey initiative was launched with the aim to produce 70,000 metric tons of honey that would generate an income between Rs 35-43 billion and provide 87,000 green jobs.

However, those associated with beekeeping and the honey business said that the government did not plant those species in sufficient numbers that could help boost honey production.

Haji Nawroz Khan, general secretary of the All Pakistan Beekeepers and Honey Dealers Association said that the association had repeatedly requested the provincial government, under the Billion Tree Tsunami programme, to plant species that are beneficial for honey production. However, the government did not pay attention to their demands, and instead of new afforestation, deforestation of the existing forests was underway, he said.

“In different parts of Punjab, phulai and lychee trees are being cut. In K-P’s southern districts, sidr trees are being cut which are a lifeline for honey production”, he pointed out.

According to the All Pakistan Beekeepers and Honey Dealers Association, there are around 30,000 bee farms in Pakistan, and about 2,000,000 workers, including transporters, labourers, farmers and others, are associated with the business. The association revealed that 99 percent of those involved in the sector are from K-P. After the repatriation of Afghan refugees, the number of workers had decreased, as they also contributed to the market in large numbers.

The association president, Naeem Qasmi, said that the use of honey is increasing day by day in Pakistan due to growing public awareness of its health related benefits.

He added that Pakistani honey exported to Gulf countries, through Yemen in specialised packaging also reached the markets in the US and European countries.

On the international level, various universities were conducting research on Pakistani honey for its potential medicinal benefits, but such research remains limited within Pakistan. “The government should equip local universities with better resources to support studies that could enhance the sector’s value and export potential,” recommends Qasmi.

He also pointed out that beekeepers had also not been trained in modern beekeeping techniques, which could help increase honey production, and the government needs to address these gaps to improve revenue generation from the honey sector.

According to Quratulain Tahira, an entomologist at the Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab, Climate change has affected both flora and fauna, as they are directly interconnected.

“Rising carbon dioxide levels in the environment have reduced the protein content of flower pollen,” says Tahira. When honeybees consume low-protein pollen, their immunity weakens, making them more susceptible to diseases. This also affects both the quality and quantity of honey.”

She added that irregular precipitation patterns, abnormal temperatures, and rising carbon dioxide levels are disrupting flora and pollen, leaving insects and other dependent species vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies due to an imbalanced nectar-based diet.

The collapse of honey production in K-P is a clear indicator that climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is an economic reality hitting the province’s most vulnerable workers. The current gap between policy and practice—specifically the lack of nectar-rich tree plantations and the continued felling of existing forests—remains a significant hurdle. To revive this sector, the government must shift from mere rhetoric to actionable support: investing in modern apiculture training, protecting existing flora, and equipping local universities to research the medicinal value of Pakistani honey.

The writer is a Peshawar-based multimedia journalist. He tweets @TheAbdurRazzaq

All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer