THE bee is the only insect that produces food consumed by humans. Egyptians knew the importance of the bees which is why apiculture — domestication of the bees — was shown in Egyptian art about 4,500 years ago.

Learning of its importance recently, the government launched the Billion Tree Honey Initiative to increase the production of honey (Dec 22). In this project, trees like ‘kao’, ‘phula’, ‘kikar’ and others that attract the bees will be planted. This will provide job opportunities to the local communities.

Pakistan is blessed with 12 climate zones, so different varieties of honey can be produced here. Other than honey, bees are good pollinators and travel to more than hundred flowers to arrange nectar for honey. Hopefully, the government will expedite the completion of this project.

Sohail Ahmad
Panjgur, Balochistan

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THE 36-kilometre-long and one-kilometre-wide dry bed of Malir river is ideal for afforestation to meet the Billion Tree Honey Initiative. Several hundred acres of this river bed have been encroached upon and vegetables are being cultivated illegally. All we need to do is to stop the illegal cultivation and replace them with fruit-bearing and honeybee-favouring trees.

This ‘forest’ will be similar to New York’s Central Park, providing oxygen to the inhabitants of the concrete jungle.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2021