Training workshop on prospects of modern beekeeping held

Islamabad
A three-day training workshop on “Prospects of Modern Beekeeping in Pakistan” concluded at Pir Mehr Ali Shah - Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) here on Monday.
The workshop was organized by PMAS-AAUR Department of Entomology with an aimed to create awareness of value added products of honeybees and to provide an excellent orientation for starting beekeeping as a hobby & a profitable enterprise. More than 50 participants including professional beekeepers, persons interested to start beekeeping, students and researchers of R&D organizations attended the three day’s workshop.
PMAS-AAUR, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad was the chief guest on the occasion, while addressing he said that awareness raising and training of honeybee farming can help poverty and increase in the production of honey as well as crops through pollination.
Highlighting the importance of bees’ flora and wildlife, the Vice Chancellor said that bees farming should be promoted in the country and added that the workshop was an excellent orientation for those starting beekeeping as a hobby or a profitable enterprise. He further said that promotion of beekeeping at all levels will help to enhance family income and foreign exchange earnings through export of bee products. He appreciated the efforts of Department of Entomology for organizing this workshop and hoped that Department will continue its efforts in future by organising such type of trainings. He said that technical expertise and practical training is necessary for beekeeping and urged the University faculty to start teaching, training and research work on honeybee breeding and management for production of honey and other by-products as well their utilization for pollination.
On the occasion, Dr Elizabeth Stephan, Ex Director & Dr Rashid Mehmood, Director, Honeybee Research Institute, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Dr. Safdar Ali, Dean, Faculty of Crop and Food Sciences, Naveed Ahmad, a progressive bee farming grower & researcher, Dr. Khawar Jawad Ahmad, Dr. Shafqat Saeed, Dr. Zahid Iqbal, Noor Islam, M. Siddique Chohan, Col. (r) Anwar Abbasi and Dr Muhammad Asif Aziz also addressed the participants during the three days of training workshop and gave a brief introduction of beekeeping in Pakistan. Speakers also elaborated the diseases and mites and their management faced by honeybee farming.