Pakistan’s honey exports reach $15m annually

ISLAMABAD, Apr 03 (APP): Pakistan’s honey exports have reached around $15 million annually, fuelled by improved beekeeping practices and high-value varieties.
Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Khalid Rafiq, Senior Scientific Officer at the Honey Bee Research Institute (HBRI), said: “We have laid a strong foundation for a competitive honey industry through sustained research, colony multiplication, improved queen breeding, pest management, and quality assurance systems.”
Today, Pakistan maintains around 1.5 million colonies of Apis mellifera, a high-yielding western honeybee species, producing between 25,000 and 30,000 metric tonnes of honey annually. Of this, 8,000 to 10,000 metric tonnes are exported, generating nearly $15 million each year, mainly to Gulf markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, with premium Sidr (berry) honey leading exports.
Pakistan’s journey towards a thriving honey industry began in 1979, when organized beekeeping was initiated at the National Agricultural Research Centre under the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. At the time, the country relied on imports due to low productivity from indigenous bee species.
The introduction of Apis mellifera, along with structured colony multiplication and training programmes, set the stage for rapid growth. “Since then, HBRI has spearheaded modern hive management, queen breeding systems, honey testing facilities, and migratory beekeeping models, while training thousands of beekeepers across the country,” said Dr Khalid.
Despite this progress, the sector faces growing environmental challenges. Deforestation, erratic weather patterns, and climate change are shortening flowering cycles and reducing nectar availability. Traditional floral sources such as Sheesham, Malta, Bekhar, Pulai, and Granda are blooming for shorter durations, directly affecting honey yields.
Rising temperatures and frequent floods are further forcing beekeepers to adopt costly migratory practices, shifting colonies to cooler regions such as Gilgit during peak summers. This increases operational costs, production risks, and colony losses, putting additional financial and operational pressure on the sector.
To enhance earnings, efforts are underway to promote branded, single-flower varieties such as Sidr, Acacia, and Mustard honey, which command premium prices in domestic and international markets.
Dr Khalid said HBRI has also proposed policy measures to integrate bee-friendly flora into housing schemes, urban landscaping, and plantation drives. Coordinated efforts are promoting Sidr and Acacia plantations across ecological zones to restore forage availability and stabilize production cycles.
He said capacity building remains central to HBRI’s mandate, with nationwide training programmes supporting both new and experienced beekeepers. Women and young entrepreneurs are also being encouraged to enter the sector, making it more inclusive and economically viable, he added.