Islamabad -UNS: The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has established Pakistan’s first modern beeswax foundation sheet production unit at the Honey Bee Research Institute (HBRI) of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), operating under the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
The newly inaugurated facility marks a significant step toward the modernization of Pakistan’s beekeeping sector.
Traditional manual production methods widely used in the country often result in non-standard and unhygienic wax foundations, which can reduce honey production efficiency and increase the risk of diseases within bee colonies.
With a production capacity of 450 wax foundation sheets per hour, the newly established unit is the first modern facility of its kind in Pakistan. Built with Turkish technology, the project aims to provide beekeepers with hygienic, standardized, and high-quality wax foundations, helping to improve productivity, reduce disease risks, and lower production costs.
Through this initiative, Türkiye’s expertise and technical know-how in modern beekeeping technologies have also been transferred to Pakistan. Following the successful introduction of Turkish-style beehives in previous years, the modern Turkish-type wax foundation production system has now been introduced to further strengthen Pakistan’s beekeeping industry.
Since 2017, TİKA and HBRI-NARC have been closely collaborating through training programs, technology transfer initiatives, and capacity-building activities designed to enhance Pakistan’s beekeeping ecosystem.
The project also underlines the critical role of bees beyond honey production, particularly in agricultural productivity, biodiversity, pollination, and environmental sustainability. The initiative is expected to contribute positively to sustainable rural development across Pakistan.
On the occasion of World Bee Day, observed annually on 20 May, TİKA also released a short documentary film highlighting the project and the ongoing cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan in the field of beekeeping.
