Beekeeping in KP faces setback due to PTI agitation
PESHAWAR (APP): The protest demonstrations and roadblocks instigated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have inflicted severe socioeconomic impact on the beekeepers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The disruption of key transportation routes, particularly the closure of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway due to PTI agitation, has left many local beekeepers, including those in Nowshera, Charsadda, and Peshawar, stranded and unable to conduct vital activities such as transporting their hives boxes to other areas for optimal honey production.
Hussain Khan, a young beekeeper from Nowshera, shared his plight while working on his beehives under the shade of a shisham tree near the Kabul River after he was stranded for the last five days there.
“The PTI protest has badly affected our business. Last Sunday, I was unable to shift my bee colonies to bees flora rich Punjab province due to the motorway closure,” said the 24-year-old, who has been in the beekeeping business since the untimely death of his father from cancer.
For Hussain, the journey into beekeeping started as a way to support his family, including his brother’s household, after the family tragedy. “I started with just 30 bee boxes, and by the grace of Allah, my business grew to 120 boxes within two years. But now, the protests have negatively impacted my hard work,” Khan lamented, estimating a loss of about Rs 100,000 due to the transportation bottleneck.
The situation has been compounded by the unavailability of adequate bee flora in Nowshera, which prompted Hussain’s decision to move his colonies to Punjab, a more favorable location. However, the roadblocks have left him unable to make the necessary shift, causing considerable setbacks in honey production.
The uncalled for disruptions caused by PTI’s political protests have rippled throughout KP’s beekeeping community.
Sher Zaman, the General Secretary of the All Pakistan Beekeepers Association, called attention to the widespread damage.
“The protests have not only harmed individual beekeepers but also exporters and honey traders. With thousands of beekeepers in KP, this is a significant blow to the local economy,” Zaman remarked.
He estimated that up to 10,000 honey farms are operating in the province, and the losses could push over 100,000 individuals linked to beekeeping into financial distress if the agitation situation was not addressed.
Beekeeping is an important industry in KP, contributing to the province agricultural economy, with Pakistani honey—known for its high quality and low sugar content—seeing consistent demand, particularly from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Zaman emphasized the urgent need for government intervention, particularly in the form of compensation and interest-free loans to support struggling beekeepers.
Dr. Mumtaz Malik, former Chief Conservator of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department, stressed the importance of preserving wild bee populations, such as the Apis Dorsata (wild bee), which is a key contributor to honey production in the region.
“Wild bees are an essential source of high-quality honey. Their habitat, which typically includes tall trees and buildings in reserved forests, is threatened by climate change and natural disasters like floods besides protest demonstrations,” Dr. Malik explained.
He recommended implementing a strategy to protect wild bee species and suggested issuing identification cards for beekeepers to help them navigate changes in their operational areas due to climate shifts.
Dr. Mumtaz Malik called for strengthening the capacity of beekeepers to respond to these challenges, such as providing training on supporting the cultivation of bee-friendly plants.
Iftikhar Khalil, former Director of Non-Timber Forest Products in KP, pointed out the untapped economic potential of Pakistan’s honey industry and stated that poor policies of PTI has negatively impacted beekeeping industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Despite KP’s capacity to produce upto 8,000 metric tons of honey annually from approximately 300,000 colonies, he said the impact of the PTI protests on the industry is deeply concerning.
Iftikhar Khalil also emphasized that with proper financial support and mitigation strategies, beekeeping could help alleviate some of the region’s economic struggles.
The experts said that PTI protests have undoubtedly put the beekeeping industry in a precarious position in KP.
For beekeepers like Hussain Khan, whose dreams were built on hard work and resilience, the political agitation is an additional burden they cannot afford.
As the situation unfolds, the call for KP government intervention grows louder, with the potential for economic recovery hinging on timely support for the beekeeping community in KP.
