Voice of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Friday, March 29, 2024

Tarnab – an emerging hub of honey industry

The Peshawar’s Tarnab Farm is one of the biggest honey markets in the world, which usually generates revenue of more than Rs 3 billion annually exporting 30 thousand to 40 thousand tons of honey to different countries of the world. Arab countries are the main importers of honey produced in Peshawar.

However, besides many other issues including deforestation, climate change, and neglect of the government, the Covid19 lockdown has greatly affected the production of the honey in the current year. Its production is likely to decrease in current season due to lack of transportation, other facilities and safe environment for honey production.

According to official figures, during current season, export in excess of 35 thousand ton was expected to Arab countries. However, due to uncertainty in markets and coronavirus lockdown, the export is likely to significantly decline. As per revised estimates, 10 thousand tons of export to the Arab countries and rest of the world is expected.

While talking to us, a senior member of All Pakistan Honey Traders Association, Gul Bacha Khan said that the honey produced in Tarnab Farm of Peshawar is the purest honey in the world and this is the reason that most of the Arab countries particularly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE citizens preferred the honey produced in KP.

He further claimed that the honey is produced in other parts of the country as well but most of the honey traders use the Peshawar’s Tarnab Farm market for selling their products to the rest of the world. He revealed that most of the honey traders in the country were Pashtuns as they had inherited this business from their ancestors in past ages.

The president of the All Pakistan Honey Traders Association, Sher Zaman on phone told us that the honey can be a good source for generating huge revenue for the country, if the industry is promoted and developed on preferential basis.

He demanded the government to provide reasonable facilities to honey traders in order to upscale its production and improve its packing in order to extend the export to European countries.
It is pertinent to mention that 1.2 million population in Pakistan are associated with the honey business and a total of 7,000 farmers are registered with the association officially. If government is able to develop this industry on modern lines with requisite incentives, it is likely to earn a significant revenue to support the ailing economy and also create thousands of new jobs.

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