By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said Pakistan produced premium quality organic honey, however stressed the need to adopt modern beekeeping and marketing techniques to boost yield and exports.
Talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Bee Keepers and Honey Dealers Association here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said owing to good quality standards, the country’s honey had the potential to hit international markets at large scale.
The President asked the Ministry of Commerce to devise an effective marketing strategy to brand and sell the honey, and expand the outreach of the produce to other countries. He emphasized on the training of people affiliated with beekeeping on modern lines to help them increase productivity.
The delegation apprised the President about the problems and challenges linked with the beekeeping sector.
Earlier on March 1, President Dr Arif Alvi said value-addition of horticulture, produce was crucial for Pakistan to boost its exports and get an edge in the highly competitive international market.
Addressing a seminar titled ‘Trade Potential of Pakistan Citrus – From Roots to Trade Routes’, the president said it was important for the country to improve quality standards of local fresh fruits with improved packaging and preservation to attract high-end markets. The seminar organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry here at Aiwan-e-Sadr was attended by traders, exporters, and horticulture experts of citrus.
President Alvi said Pakistan was rich in the production of citrus being the world’s sixth-largest producer of superior quality ‘Kinnow’, however, stressed an effective policy to broaden its exports. He said phytosanitation a systematic approach of pest prevention in food crops and organic farming could enhance yields besides reducing the chances of rejection by the importing countries citing unsafe produce.
He mentioned that China, Japan, Korea, and several other developed countries could prove attractive markets for Pakistan’s fresh fruits and emphasized the need for adopting their stringent food standard policies.
Dr Alvi said food security was important for economic stability, adding that water conservation and bio-diversity were need of the hour. He expressed concern that improper treatment and preservation of crops mainly wheat and rice resulted in infestation and led to loss of quality stuff for export purposes. The President called for investment in phytosanitation and applicable market-related research as a way forward to translate the benefit of yield into revenue.
He urged exporters to be mindful of the presentation of packaged fruits by sorting out blemish-free produce and ensuring the preservation timeline from production till delivery to consumers. Dr Alvi said embassies could play an important role for introducing the country’s fruits to the taste-buds of consumers across the glove by organizing festivals particularly of ‘Kinnow’, mango and apricot.
