ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has completed the “Livelihood Empowerment of Women through Sustainable Beekeeping Training and Capacity Building Program in Gilgit-Baltistan”, aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Implemented in cooperation with the Honeybee Research Institute (HBRI) of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) and the Gilgit-Baltistan Agriculture Department, the program provided four days of theoretical and practical training on modern beekeeping techniques to 30 women beneficiaries from Gilgit. The training covered topics such as colony management, honey harvesting and processing, disease control, value addition of bee products, and the use of modern hive systems.
The closing ceremony was held at the Directorate of Agriculture Extension in Gilgit. The event was attended by Mr. Rahim Gul, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Department Gilgit-Baltistan; Mr. Muhammad Naseem, Chief Foreign Aid Gilgit-Baltistan; Mr. Iqbal Hussain, Director Agriculture Extension; and Ms. Saliha Tuna, TİKA Country Coordinator in Pakistan.
During the ceremony, certificates were awarded to the participants who successfully completed the training. In addition, each beneficiary received two modern beehives, along with essential beekeeping equipment and starter kits provided by TİKA to help them begin their beekeeping activities.
Speaking at the ceremony, TİKA Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna emphasized the importance of initiatives that diversify income-generating opportunities for women farmers in a region where only 1.2 percent of the land is suitable for agriculture and where agricultural activities are largely carried out by women.
One of the most inspiring participants of the program was Nausheen Barkat, who had previously attended a similar TİKA-supported beekeeping training four years ago. After further developing her beekeeping enterprise, Barkat went on to receive the Daraz Best Emerging Seller 2023 Award and the Shark Tank Pakistan 2025 Award. Returning to this year’s program as a community leader, she shared her experience and provided mentorship to newly emerging women beekeepers.
Director Agriculture Extension Iqbal Hussain expressed his satisfaction with the renewed cooperation with TİKA after several years and voiced his hope that collaboration aimed at developing the beekeeping sector would continue in the future.
During her visit, TİKA Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna also held meetings with senior officials of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, including Mr. Riaz Ahmed, Secretary Planning and Development; Mr. Sibtain Ahmad, Secretary Forest, Wildlife and Environment; Mr. Rahim Gul, Secretary Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; and Mr. Muhammad Naseem, Chief Foreign Aid, as well as representatives of various public institutions and the Gilgit-Baltistan Rural Support Programme (GBRSP), to explore potential areas of future cooperation.
Through the project, TİKA aims to promote the wider adoption of modern beekeeping practices, increase women’s participation in productive economic activities, and contribute to sustainable rural development and household income generation across Gilgit-Baltistan.
