Apiculture sector to thrive with Chinese know-how

Islamabad

Xinhua

Pakistan has a huge potential in honey production but due to multiple factors local beekeepers are facing challenges that can be overcome by following the Chinese style of beekeeping, experts said.

Speaking at the China-Pakistan Apiculture Forum, experts from Pakistan and China said the bilateral apiculture cooperation is a way forward toward a successful honey production sector in Pakistan. Nadia Rehman, a member of food security and climate change of Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, told the webinar that such cooperation will lead to knowledge sharing, research collaboration and technology transfer, and result in enhanced honey yield in the country.

She added that 390,000 people in Pakistan are involved in beekeeping and produce over 4,000 tons of honey annually, and if they adopt modern technologies, honey production can surge to 70,000 tons a year and create about 87,000 green jobs.

Speaking at the event, Muhammad Naeem, vice chancellor of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, said many people from rural areas of Pakistan are associated with beekeeping which becomes a profitable business and a great source of livelihood.

The annual yield per colony was 30 to 35 kg, but recently due to climate change effects it decreased to 10 to 12 kg, posing a serious challenge for beekeepers to continue the business, he said. Naeem added that to help Pakistani beekeepers overcome the challenge, his university is helping them not only to increase the yield but also find alternative ways to earn money, by introducing Chinese technology.

Now a training course on beeeeping and honey processing technology for Pakistan is being held in which 39 participants from different universities, research institutes, beekeeping associations, honey traders, and beekeepers are getting the most advanced knowledge of beekeeping from Chinese professors, Naeem said.

“As China is playing a leading role in the research and development of beekeeping in the world, the knowledge sharing by Chinese experts regarding modern beekeeping techniques can be very useful for Pakistani beekeepers and the scientific community,” he added.

Pang Chunxue, charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, told the webinar that agriculture is one of the pillar industries of Pakistan and a key area for bilateral cooperation between China and Pakistan.

“Agricultural cooperation is crucial to the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China is committed to supporting Pakistan in revitalizing its agriculture, livestock, dairy, fisheries and food processing sectors to attain sustainable growth and meet the challenge of poverty alleviation,” she added.

India to withdraw 2,000-rupee notes from circulation

PROFIT ReuteRS

India will start withdrawing its highest value currency notes from circulation, the central bank said on Friday, in a move that economists said could boost bank deposits at a time of high credit growth.

The withdrawal of 2,000-rupee ($24.5) notes – which the finance ministry’s top official, T.V Somanathan, said would not cause disruption “either in normal life or in the economy” – also comes ahead of elections in four large states at the end of the year and a national ballot in spring 2024.

Most of India’s political parties are believed to hoard cash in high denomination bills to fund election campaign expenses to get around tough spending limits imposed by the Election Commission. Announcing the withdrawal, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said evidence showed the denomination was not being commonly used for transactions. The notes will remain legal tender, it added, but people will be asked to deposit and exchange them for smaller denominations by Sept. 30.

“The stock of banknotes in other denominations continues to be adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public,” the RBI added in a statement. The 2,000 rupee note was introduced in 2016 after the Narendra

Modi-led government abruptly withdrew 500 and 1000 rupee denominations in an effort to remove forgeries from circulation. There is little evidence that plan succeeded, but the move did create a systemic shortage of cash by taking away 86% of the economy’s currency in circulation by value overnight.

The government began issuing new 500 rupee notes days later, and added the 2,000 to replenish currency in circulation at a faster pace.

However, since then, the central bank has focused on printing notes of 500 rupees and below and has printed no new 2,000-rupee notes in the last four years. Pronab Sen, economist and former chief statistician of India, called the withdrawal of the higher-value note “a sensible form of demonetisation.” his dismay as numerous individuals were arrested solely for holding these placards.

Karthik Srinivasan, Senior Vice President Financial Sector Ratings at ICRA, said banks’ deposit accretion rates “could improve marginally in the near term”. “This will ease the pressure on deposit rate hikes and could also result in moderation in short-term interest rates,” he added.

Indian banks have been reporting double-digit credit growth in recent months, notwithstanding 250 basis points of RBI rate since last May. Banks are raising deposits at a faster pace to meet the growing demand and tightening liquidity.

He highlighted that in Pakistan’s history, he had never witnessed such deplorable treatment towards women. He emphasised that peaceful protest is a constitutionally protected right of the PTI and its supporters.

“I clearly state that if any member of the PTI is found involved in burning a vehicle or engaging in any other unlawful activity, inform us, and we will present them before the court ourselves,” he added.

Imran said that there is no law in the country at the moment and his only hope is the judiciary, adding that even judges are being pressured against giving relief to PTI.

He said that by not holding elections on May 14, the Constitution was broken.

US avoids comment on Pakistan-Iran border trade deal

ISLAMABAD MonitoRing RepoRt

In a significant development for Pakistan’s commercial relationship with neighbouring Iran, the inauguration of a cross-border marketplace has paved the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation. While this event unfolded, the United States chose to withhold any commentary on the evolving ties between the two nations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran convened on Thursday for a meeting following the joint inauguration of the MandPishin border sustenance market. This step is seen as a concerted effort to bolster trade and strengthen the economic bonds between the two nations. When questioned about the meeting and the progress in Pakistan-Iran relations, a spokesperson from the US State Department told Geo News: “We are aware of this meeting. We do not have any comment to provide on the engagement.” The United States, however, emphasised the continued importance of its relationship with Islamabad, highlighting that fostering Pakistan’s economic growth, ensuring energy security, and promoting environmental sustainability remain paramount within the bilateral ties. These aspects are deemed as the “cornerstone” of the Green Alliance.

Pakistan, Russia sign protocol to boost economic cooperation

KAZAN, RUSSIA

Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar witnessed the signing of the Protocol relating to Customs cooperation between Ministry of Commerce Pakistan and Federal Customs Services of Russian Federation aimed at facilitating and reducing costs of trade between the two countries. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Russia-Islamic-WorldEconomic Forum being held in Kazan, Russia. The Protocol covers Administrative Cooperation and Information Exchange under the unified Tariff Preferences of Eurasian Economic Union. The landmark Protocol is another important step in building the legal framework required for developing commercial relations between Pakistan and Russia. It would besides ensuring easy flow of goods also afford significant discount in customs duties for Pakistani products entering Russian market. The Commerce Minister is visiting Kazan to represent Pakistan at the 14th Russia-Islamic world Economic Forum held in Kazan. He held wide ranging discussions with HE Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais (Head) of Russian Republic of Tatarstan. The two dignitaries exchanged views on expanding economic relations between Pakistan and Russian Federation with special focus on Tatarstan.

Imran undergoes medical examination at Shaukat Khanum hospital

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and former prime minister, underwent a medical check-up at Shaukat Khanum Hospital late on Friday night, his team confirmed on Twitter. The decision to transfer Khan to the institution he built in the 1990s was made after he experienced abdominal discomfort and complained of stomach pain. Upon his arrival at the facility, a team of healthcare professionals promptly commenced a comprehensive examination to identify the root cause of his discomfort. Multiple tests were conducted under the supervision of the attending doctors.

India wants normalisation of ties but ‘onus on Pakistan’: Modi

NEW DELHI agencieS

As the stalemate between Islamabad and New Delhi continues over bilateral relations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the sole responsibility for the normalisation of ties on Pakistan. India wants “normal and neighbourly relations”, Modi said in an interview with a Japanese media outlet while discussing New Delhi’s strained ties with its neighbours and key regional players.

“However, it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities. The onus is on Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard,” said the Indian prime minister. It may be noted that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has made it clear that Pakistan was willing to address any concerns that New Delhi might have but said Islamabad expected the same from the other side. On his maiden visit to India as the FM last month, Bilawal said that Pakistanís position on bilateral relations or a meaningful engagement with India remains the same as long as it reviews the unilateral actions taken on August 5, 2019.

Besides maintaining a rigid stance on

Kashmir’s status, India is also hosting the G20 tourism meeting in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) from May 22 to May 24.

Islamabad has repeatedly slammed its arch-rival since partition in 1947 for the move and sensitised the G20 members as well that their participation in the summit would be seen as an attempt to legitimise the human rights violations in Kashmir and vindicate the illegal Indian occupation of the region.

It may be noted that not only Pakistan but its main regional ally China ówhich also has hostile relations with India ó also opposed the G20 summit in Srinagar, saying that it will not be a part of it.

The ties between the neighbouring countries became agitated, especially since a 2020 clash that left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead in the first deadly battle between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades.

While touching on India’s fraught relationships with Beijing, Modi said: “India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity.”

With the lingering Himalayan border standoff between the two countries, the Indian leader stressed New Delhi’s respect for sovereignty, rule of law and peaceful conflict resolution.

“Peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for normal bilateral ties with China. The future development of the India-China relationship can only be based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests,” he said.

Being a widely popular leader in his country, Modi who is the leader of rightwing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a third stint in power.

Stepping up his international diplomacy, he noted that “normalising” the ties would benefit the wider region and the world.