STAFF REPORT ISB: Though Pakistan has a great potential to get itself listed in the major honey producers in the world, the country still falls at number 20th in terms of production.
“Pakistan is producing prime quality of honey in the world, but still it could not get the prominent position in the world,” said National Agriculture Research Centers (NARC) Honey Bee Research Institute, Senior Scientific officer Dr. Rashid Hussain while talking to the media.
Dr. Rashid Hussain said the producing 298,000 metric tons annually, while China is the largest exporter of honey in the world.
He further said that the quality of Pakistani honey is special as this type of honey was made of the nectar by the honeybees extracted from the flowers of berry tree (Ziziphus) and fortunately berry trees are grown in abundance in the Potohar region.
Naeem Qasmi, President of Pakistan Beekeepers Association (PBA) said that he was worried about the cutting of berry trees, the main source of nectar for honeybees.
“The cutting of berry trees is going on without any check and if it is not stopped, the business of honey would be badly affected,” he said.
Qasmi said that there were about 35,000 beekeeping farms in Pakistan but only 10,000 of them were registered with the PBA. He said that the beekeepers find themselves in trouble whenever their bees are attacked by termites. And in such a situation, they cannot find anti-termite medicines at reasonable prices, Qasmi said.