Call for placing honey bee hives in govt farms, private orchards.

MULTAN -- South Punjab Secretary of Agriculture, Saqib Ali Ateel Wednesday emphasized placing honey bee hives at government as well as private orchards to earn handsome profits from honey production, besides countering the negative impact of climate change on crops.

"Beekeeping is an environmentally friendly activity that brings good earnings to farmers and fetches foreign exchange through exports," said the secretary while addressing a one-day workshop at Mango Research Institute (MRI) Multan on Apiculture or Beekeeping.

Master trainers from Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) gave training to officials of agriculture extension and adaptive research farms on techniques to get a higher honey bee population and enhanced honey production.

Ateel stressed the need to opt for modernity in Apiculture citing experts' opinions who believed Pakistan was producing honey in a volume that was 25 per cent below its actual potential.

Better guidance can help farmers begin businesses on a commercial scale and earn extra for their family needs. He stated that the profitable business would also impact crop production positively due to their active role...