A prominent honey bee researcher and trainer, Asim Shah, said that mango, berry and sunflower produce very good quality honey that can be exported from Pakistan to the international markets to earn huge profits.
In an interview at a private university, he shared these views on the guidance of bio-science students on the topic “Modern impact on agriculture; increasing agriculture through natural resources and minimizing the use of artificial fertilizers,” a statement said on Tuesday.
Asim Shah claimed that wax, royal jelly, propolis, and bee venom can also be traded in addition to breeding, as honey venom is also used in medicine and scientific research.
As honey bees need flowers to make honey, he advised the people of Karachi to plant as many flowering plants in their homes as possible.
He said that they could easily make honey from the plants planted in the surrounding houses if three boxes of bees were kept in a suitable place in a house in Karachi.
He said that, according to an estimate, three times a year, five kilograms or more of honey can be easily obtained from bee hives, which can be sold at a sufficient profit, so young students can begin their honey business successfully when they start their business after completing their education.
He added that the movement of bees to flowers and plants in agricultural areas increases agricultural productivity by 20 to 70%, so that beekeepers in the United States supply landowners with bees for a fee of between $60 and $100.
Asim Shah said Pakistan is an agricultural country, it is the fifth largest country in the world in cattle farming, our tastes of cow, buffalo and goat meat are the best in the world, our tastes and high quality of vegetables, fruits and milk are excellent.
Unfortunately, he said that 60% of our dung is dumped in the fields, which deprives us of the same amount of nitrogen gas, if the same dung is placed into the drums of biogas, biogas generated from it will not only generate cheap energy, but also produce high-quality natural fertilizer.
He said that one truckload of dung could be equal to two and a half truckloads of biogas that had to be taken advantage of in the agricultural sector.
It is important to note here that the ‘Billion Tree Honey Initiative’ was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan in December 2020 to increase the production of honey by planting trees.
Under the scheme, the planting of trees such as Kao, Phulai, Ber, Kikar and other bee flora will be encouraged.
A system will also be given to promote bee flora, improve the quality of the production of honey, provide beekeepers with livelihoods and maintain the operation by providing financial support.
In the financial year 2018-2019, Pakistan exported honey worth Rs. 966 million, according to the government’s Honeybee Research Institute (HBRI) in Islamabad.