Rawalpindi - A three-day training workshop on “Prospects of Modern Beekeeping in Pakistan” concluded here at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi on Monday.
The workshop was organised by PMAS-AAUR department of entomology with an aim to create awareness of value-added products of honeybees and provide an excellent orientation for starting beekeeping as a hobby and a profitable enterprise.
More than 50 participants including professional beekeepers, persons interested to start beekeeping, students and researchers of R&D organisations attended the three days workshop.
PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad was the chief guest on the occasion. He said that awareness raising and training of honeybee farming could help poverty and increase in the production of honey as well as crops through pollination.
 Highlighting the importance of bees flora and wildlife, the VC 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 would help enhance family income and foreign exchange earnings through export of bee products. He appreciated the efforts of department of entomology for organising this workshop and hoped that department would continue its efforts in future by organising such type of trainings. He said that technical expertise and practical training were 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.