Climate change affects Pakistan honey production, exports

Besides affecting rain circles and causing heat waves , climate change has started taking its toll on Pakistan's honey production too.The country has seen a record drop in honey production that has resulted in the surge of prices and drop in exports by 50 percent . According to a report, unseasonal rains , hailstorms , deforestation, and pollution are main factors that have affected the production that stands at 40,000 tons.The report stated jujube honey (bair), is the favored honey honey for export and has vast demand in Pakistan too.Met Office Official Dr Noman Rashid has called for devising an effective policy to cope with the climate change.Commenting on honey production, he said bair tree is being devoured by human settlements with a surge in population. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan's statistics show that the honey export which stood at $ 9 billion dollar in 2013 fell to $6 billion dollars in 2017. Talking to an Urdu language newspaper, Pakistan Honey Association General Secretary Sher Zaman said over the past few years 700 shipping containers of honey were exported but given the prevailing situation a merely 200 containers would be possible to export."If only bair honey yield is good, farmers, and traders can benefit from the exports," he was quoted as saying.He lamented that the government negligence, a drop in the value of Pakistani rupee against dollar are also hurting the industry which is not even recognized as an "industry". He said 1 million people are associated with honey production and trade and another one million could be provided with job opportunities if government acknowledges it as industry.Zaman said the export could be increased to 3000 containers a year if the government turns it attention to honey industry. 

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2PGvbOU

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