Pakistan Honey Production Records Historic High Thanks To China

Pakistan has made a historic breakthrough in the processing of bee-related products, particularly honey production, thanks to the use of Chinese technology.

Pakistan Honey Production Records Historic High Thanks To China

Pakistan has made a historic breakthrough in the processing of bee-related products, particularly honey production, thanks to the use of Chinese technology.

Dr. Muhammad Asif Aziz, Associate Professor of Entomology at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, is in charge of the Billion Tree Honey Initiative and attended the online training course on beekeeping and honey processing technology last year, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and organised by Hunan Agricultural Group Co., Ltd.

The training came at an ideal time for him because he was eager to learn more about royal jelly production, bee breeding techniques, honey production technology, and bee-related product processing in order to meet the goal of Billion Tree Honey Initiative, which is to produce 70,000 tonnes of honey through the introduction of modern beekeeping equipment, training in the latest technologies, standardisation and product certification, and marketing.

“It’s difficult to get technical training online, but I’m fortunate to have a great online management team to keep everything organised,” he said.

“Chinese professors demonstrated the country’s beekeeping technology through theoretical explanations and apiary demonstrations. And there were interesting introductions to Chinese culture, so we not only learned Chinese beekeeping technology but also had a deeper understanding of China,” he said of the training, which he described as “beyond expectation” and for which he was awarded “excellent trainee” at the end of the programme.

The training taught him that the first step in developing Pakistan’s apiculture industry should be to improve the skills of local practitioners in the production of various bee products, such as royal jelly and other higher-value bee products, through training and capacity-building programmes.

As a result, he began training local beekeepers in two categories. One is a short-term course that teaches professional bee farmers modern apiculture technology. The other is intermediate to long-term training for newcomers.

Local beekeepers previously believed that royal jelly could only be produced in natural beeswax cups and in queenless colonies. As a result, they were mostly hesitant to produce this valuable product because they were afraid of a loose bee population in the absence of queens and considered royal jelly production to be more expensive than net profits.

After learning about China’s royal jelly technology, Dr. Muhammad Asif Aziz and his students decided to use Chinese technology. Then he invited a group of beekeepers to learn and practise together. Royal jelly was successfully produced with plastic queen cells in colonies with queens, much to everyone’s surprise.

“The Chinese people’s approach to working for the betterment of humanity through knowledge sharing is remarkable, which will ultimately pave the path towards social and economic stability for both nations,” he said, looking forward to more exchanges in the future.

“Online training will never be able to replace in-person practise. I’m looking forward to visiting China in the near future to meet with apiculture industry experts face-to-face,” he added.

Honey production in Pakistan is an important source of income for many small farmers and rural communities, and it contributes significantly to the country’s agricultural sector.

The honey industry in Pakistan is supported by a network of beekeepers, honey processors, and traders, who work together to produce, process, and sell honey both locally and internationally.