HYDERABAD, Nov 15: Dist-rict Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has said that bee-keeping, trading and marketing of honey and others products be given industrial status by providing loaning facilities to farmers to rout out the menace of poverty in rural areas.

He was speaking at inauguration ceremony of honey-bee keeping arranged by the management of the Sindh sericulture department at its head office on the Autobahn Road on Monday.

The nazim said that thousands of people specially belonging to rural areas were passing their lives below the poverty line as one member of the family could only earn Rs60 against his full day labour.

He said that potential of business, agricultural-oriented skilled labour and resources were there but only organization and infrastructure was lacking.

He said there were many agricultural-oriented products, by-products and business avenues in the rural areas but unfortunately due to poverty and lack of organizational and infrastructure network we were not only wasting our resources but increasing the rate of unemployment and socio-economic problems in the society.

Lauding the training course programme, launched by the Sindh government, the district nazim said this would not only produce more skilled men power but also discourage adulterated product by increasing original honey-bee product.

He said that an awareness campaign was also needed to educate the people about importance of honey-bee keeping and usage of its product.

He stressed upon participants of the training course not to misuse the opportunity by earning stipend only through the programme but also take it as a good opportunity and professional duty so that objectives of the programme were achieved.

He stressed upon the management of sericulture, agriculture and forest departments to introduce new agro-oriented products, by-products and marketing system in the rural areas so that economic resources could be efficiently utilized on the one hand and employment opportunities could be generated on the other.