With the blooming of flowers this spring, next time you see bees in the process of pollination you can now think of their great benefits to the natural world. Without honeybees, agriculture the glue that holds our society together may face declining productivity, which would cause detrimental global ripple effects.
PARC boosting beekeeping sector in Pakistan: chairman dailytimes.com.pk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytimes.com.pk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
ISLAMABAD - Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali here on Friday said that declining population of bees and pollinators is a
ISLAMABAD: When Ameer Ahmed set up his bee farm as a part-time business with 30 beehives last year, the 22-year-old university student did not expect to turn the trade into a full-time job after making hefty profits.
Today, he has 100 beehives on his farmland in the Chakwal area of Pakistan’s populous Punjab province, and earns between $13,000 and $16,000 annually, mainly by exporting honey to countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“This is an easy and profitable business as one can start it without getting any formal skills and education,” Ahmed told Arab News.
He is among a growing legion of unskilled laborers, students and growers in remote areas of the country who are turning to beekeeping as a profitable source of income since it requires minimal capital and skill.
Islamabad: The Pakistan government is encouraging farmers and livestock owners to take up beekeeping amid the global loss of honeybees.
The ambitious honey initiative aims “to boost honey beekeeping in a more natural way as an alternative source of livelihood for poor and marginalised households and additional income for farmers”, besides ensuring food security and sustainable environmental conservation, Special Assistant to PM on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, said at the launch of national apiculture (or beekeeping) programme in Islamabad.
Supporting potential beekeepers
Recognising the importance of bees to the country’s food security, forests and national economy, the government has announced to offer support to the potential beekeepers, especially young people, to adopt modern beekeeping. Under the initiative, people will get training from Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) and support such as interest-free loans and buy-back mechanism.