A Literature on Honey

Honey Production

Honey directly absorbed into the blood and provide rapid energy.
Four species of honeybees are found in Pakistan.


Beekeeping is a profitable business in Pakistan. About 7,000 beekeepers are now rearing exotic species, Apis mellifera in the modern beehives. There are about 300,000 colonies producing 7,500 metric ton honey annually. Congenial climate conditions and bee flora in the country provide excellent opportunities for the expansion of beekeeping. Honeybee flora is present on vast areas in all the provinces including Northern areas, FATA and AJK and can support 1,000,000 honeybee colonies.


PARC can provide training to the individuals and groups of various organizations and also arrange special training courses on request. The investment and income is worked out for beekeepers for honey production having 5, 50,100 and 200 colonies. These colonies need to be migrated to different locations depending upon the availability of honeybee flora.

Cost/benefit beekeeping in Pakistan

Item Part-time beekeeping Full-time beekeeping Number of Apis mellifera colonies 5 50 100 200 Capital Expenditure       Standard Langstroth bee hive (with bees) @ Rs.4500/- per hive Rs.22,500 Rs.225,000 Rs.450,000 Rs.900,000        Comb foundation press - - Rs.18,000 Rs.18,000        Honey extractor Rs.2,000 Rs.6,000 Rs.10,000 Rs.10,000        Nucleus hives @ Rs.500/- Rs.2,500 Rs.25,000 Rs.50,000 Rs.100,000        Pollen traps @ Rs.200/- Rs.200 Rs.3,000 Rs.3,000 Rs.5,000       Miscellaneous tools (bee veil, hive tool, smoker, tent etc.) Rs.500 Rs.6,000 Rs.7,000 Rs.14,000 Total Rs.27,700 Rs.265,000 Rs.538,000 Rs.1,047,000 Production Cost        Nectar & pollen Free gift of nature       Transportation of colonies (migration) - Rs.10,000 Rs.20,000 Rs.48,000       Supplemental feeding 12 kg sugar per colony@ Rs.40/- per kg Rs.2,400 Rs.24,000 Rs.48,000 Rs.96,000       Depreciation on equipment Rs.2,710 Rs.26,500 Rs.53,800 Rs.104,700       Rent of stores - Rs.5,000 Rs.10,000 Rs.15,000       Rent of apiary sites in the form of honey (obligatory) - Rs.1,000 Rs.2,000 Rs.4,000       Bee Attendants @ Rs.3000/- per month + food - Rs.36,000 Rs.72,000 Rs.108,000       Misc. expenses (chemicals/medicines) Rs.500 Rs.3,000 Rs.6,000 Rs.12,000 Total Rs.5,610 Rs.105,500 Rs.211,800 Rs.375,700 Gross Income       Honey 25 kg @ Rs.80/- per kg (different sources 10 kg 'ber’ @ Rs.250/- per kg Rs.6,000 Rs.185,000 Rs.370,000 Rs.740,000       Royal jelly per 50 colonies - Rs.10,000 Rs.20,000 Rs.40,000       Beeswax 250gm per hive @ Rs.200/- per kg Rs.250 Rs.2,500 Rs.5,000 Rs.10,000       Pollen (surplus) 250 gm per colony @ Rs.600/- per kg Rs.1,000 Rs.7,500 Rs.14,500 Rs.29,000       Nucleus hive @ Rs.1000/- Rs.1,000 Rs.15,000 Rs.30,000 Rs.60,000 Total Rs.8,250 Rs.220,000 Rs.439,500 Rs.879,000 Net Income Rs.2,640 Rs.114,500 Rs.227,700 Rs.503,300

What is the contribution of PARC in promotion of honey production in Pakistan?
Ans.

• Honeybee Research Programme (HBRP), NARC of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) is one of the important programme for the income generation and poverty alleviation.
• Established the occidental honeybee Apis mellifera in Pakistan after more than 16 unsuccessful attempts from 1927 to 1977.
• Developed management technologies for higher honey production.
• Colony yield increased from 4 kg to 25 kg and annual honey production increased from 250 ton to more than 7,500 ton.
• Trained about 7000 beekeepers, out of these 2600 beekeepers are maintaining more than 3,00,000 honeybee colonies in modern Langstroth hives.
• Started the use of honeybees for pollination of vegetable-seed, oil-seed, fodder-seed crops and fruit trees for yield increase and quality seed.
• Organized 17 national and 72 regional beekeeping training courses.
• Strengthened Provincial beekeeping units at Faisalabad and Tarnab, Peshwar and established new units in Quetta, Hyderabad and Azad Kashmir.
• Set up beekeeping units at Gilgit and Nagar with the collaboration of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme.
• Set up beekeeping unit at University of the Punjab, Lahore for teaching, demonstration and research purposes.

What are the major economic benefits of bee farming?
Ans. The major economic benefits are:
Crop pollination: The share of honeybees in crop pollination is 80 %. It improves the quality of fruits, vegetable and yield of seed crops.
Honey Production: Honey production from occidental bees is upto 24 kg per colony per annum. The sidder honey fetches maximum price.
Bee hive value-added by-products: Royal jelly, pollen and propolis are used as health food and beeswax in cosmetics. Beekeepers in Pakistan are maintaining a fairly large number of honeybee colonies and are capable of producing royal jelly, pollen propolis and bees wax. The production and value addition of by-products would supplements the income of beekeepers.