Three-day training workshop on Queen Rearing and Modern Beekeeping organized by Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) was concluded here Sunday.
Beekeeping is a profitable business and production can be increased only by taking strict steps to control deforestation and pesticide use in agriculture, said the experts while addressing the workshop.
They said that the government should help beekeepers by improving the value chain industry and make their access easy not only for national but also for foreign markets.
The workshop was organized by PMAS-AAUR Department of Entomology under the project “Billion Tree Honey Initiative”, with an aim to create awareness of value added products of honeybees and to provide an excellent orientation for starting beekeeping as a hobby and a profitable enterprise.
PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qamar-uz-Zaman was the chief guest while more than 30 participants including professional beekeepers, persons interested to start beekeeping, students and researchers of R&D organizations attended the workshop.
The participants got hands-on training in terms of queen breeding, reduction in post-harvest losses, colony management, honey extraction techniques, nutrition, pests and diseases and pollination of entomophilous crops, etc.
While addressing the participants, Dr. Qamar uz Zaman while highlighting the importance of bees’ flora and wildlife, said that bee farming should be promoted in the country and added that the workshop is an excellent orientation for those starting beekeeping as a profitable enterprise. He appreciated efforts of the Department of Entomology for organizing this workshop and hoped that the Department would continue its efforts in future by organizing such type of training sessions. He said that technical expertise and practical training is necessary for beekeeping.
He stressed the University faculty to start teaching, training and research work on honeybee breeding and management for production of honey and other by-products to earn foreign exchange through export of bee products.
On the occasion, Prof. Dr. Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Sahi, Dean Agriculture Faculty, Prof. Dr. M. Naeem, Chairman, Entomology department & Dr Muhammad Asif Aziz Assistant Prof. department of Entomology also addressed the participants and gave a brief introduction of beekeeping in Pakistan.
