On Thursday, the Institute of Plant Protection, MNS Unversity of Agriculture, Multan arranged the International Honey Bee Conference on “Bee Pollination Under Climate Change Scenario” via webinar on Thursday.
Apart from honey, Pakistan’s milk production was 57.8 billion liters, and consumption is 46.6 billion liters in 2017-18. It’s the 4th largest milk-producing country in the world.
At the event, the federal Minister on National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam was invited as the chief guest.
“Pakistan has great potential for beekeeping due to diverse bee flora and suitable environmental conditions. Honeybees are an essential component of modern agriculture and economy.”
The minister said.
Besides the fact that beekeeping and honey production is an eco-friendly practice, it is becoming a very profitable business in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, there are three species of native Apis and one exotic honeybee.
Currently, there are about 10,000 beekeepers in Pakistan managing almost 1.1 million Apis mellifeca colonies. Annual honey production is about 15,750 metric tonnes in the country.
Pakistan ranks 20th in the world for honey production and 34th in honey export.
The rapidly growing business is mainly found in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along with central and north regions of Punjab. Nowadays, the demand for honey and its byproducts is increasing not only in the local markets but also in international markets.
Understanding the management of pollinators is very significant since plant diversity is directly dependent upon the success of pollination and vice versa.
