PESHAWAR: Business community has demanded of federal and provincial governments to set up a modern laboratory for honey testing in Peshawar and to establish an industrial unit for processing and packaging for the convenience of exporters.
The demand was made by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fazal Moqeem Khan while addressing a seminar at the chamber here.
He also stressed the need for provision of assistance to exporters in obtaining certification for honey export to the European Union, United Kingdom and North America and ensuring that the registration procedure was made easy and convenient, including reducing registration fees.
According to a statement the seminar was organized in collaboration with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to remove the difficulties and obstacles hindering the export of honey and to develop the honey industry.
The seminar was attended by Sarhad Chamber Senior Vice President Abdul Jalil Jan, Vice President Shahryar Khan, former Presidents of Sarhad Chamber Malik Niaz Ahmed, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, Sarhad Chamber Executive Committee members Aftab Iqbal, Nadeem Rauf, Ashfaq Ahmed, Sarhad Chamber Secretary General Muqtasad Ahsan, Hamoodur Rehman, Bilal Hussain, Naeem Qasmi, Mansoor Ahmed, Junaid Khan of SAMEDA, officers of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and other persons related to the honey industry.
Fazal Moqeem Khan said that Sarhad Chamber is making great efforts to provide better facilities to honey exporters and shopkeepers.
He said that Sarhad Chamber had included hand-woven carpets, honey, furniture, precious stones and jewellery and industrial minerals in its development programme this year and full efforts were being made for the development of these sectors and to solve the problems faced by the businessmen associated with the said sector and the seminar organized on the honey sector is the first link of these efforts.
He said that Sarhad Chamber was eager to work more with the stakeholders of the honey sector. He stressed the need to take steps to promote honey exports and access international markets. He assured the honey exporters, shopkeepers and the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that steps will be taken on priority basis to solve their problems.
He requested TDAP officials to organize workshops to raise awareness about training, registration, obtaining licenses, packaging and quality control for the promotion of honey business in the future. TDAP officials agreed with the recommendations presented by Sarhad Chamber President Fazl Muqeem Khan and businessmen associated with the honey business and assured that full cooperation will be extended to exporters and shopkeepers to promote honey export. The seminar was addressed by Muhammad Khalid Rafique of Honey Bee Research Institute Islamabad, Muhammad Younis of Agricultural Research Institute Tarnab Farm, Rashid Aman, Provincial Chief of SMEDA and Ayaz Muhammad, Deputy Director of TDAP.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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