How Beekeeping Changed One Man’s Life in KP
Fakhar-e-Alam
Peshawar: For 38-year-old beekeeper Attaur Rehman, the steady buzzing of bees is no longer just a sound of nature, it is the sound of survival, resilience, and hope.
A resident of Nowshera, Attaur’s life was once consumed by grief and financial hardship. After losing both of his parents and being weighed down by mounting medical debts, he was forced to abandon his education to support his eight-member family.
What appeared to be the collapse of his future, however, slowly transformed into an unexpected journey of recovery through beekeeping.
What began in 2020 with only 20 bee boxes has now grown into a thriving enterprise of more than 100 boxes, providing him not only with financial stability but also with renewed confidence and purpose.
“The loans taken for my parents’ treatment forced me to leave my studies,” Attaur recalled. “I started beekeeping with just 20 boxes in my hometown. Today, I have more than 100 and I have managed to repay all the borrowed money.”
With the arrival of summer, Attaur migrates his bee colonies to the lush valleys of Swat, where blooming flowers and abundant nectar sources create ideal conditions for honey production. This seasonal movement, common among experienced beekeepers, allows bees to produce honey known for its rich flavor and nutritional value.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/how-iwt-suspension-threatens-pakistans-honey-industry/
Standing among rows of buzzing bee boxes in Swat’s green meadows, Attaur described bees as more than a source of income. To him, they represent one of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s hidden natural treasures.
“Wild bees play a vital role in honey production and pollination,” he said. “If conserved scientifically, they can create enormous economic opportunities for local communities and contribute significantly to the provincial economy.”
His story reflects the broader potential of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) — natural resources obtained from forests without cutting trees, including honey, medicinal plants, mushrooms, nuts, herbs, and wild edibles.
Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, thousands of forest-dependent families rely on these resources for their livelihoods.
Recognizing the untapped economic value of NTFPs, the Directorate of NTFP of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Department recently organized a two-day workshop titled “From Forests to Markets: Valorization of NTFPs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” in Kalam, Swat.
The initiative aimed to promote sustainable harvesting, value addition, and commercialization of forest-based products while creating new livelihood opportunities for rural communities.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/bees-in-peril-honey-farmers-grapple-with-shifting-climate-patterns/
The workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including forest department officials, NTFP collectors and traders, researchers, development practitioners, representatives of WWF, and officials from leading herbal and pharmaceutical companies such as Hamdard Laboratories and Qarshi Industries.
The event served as a platform for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders involved in the NTFP value chain, focusing on how the province’s rich forest resources could be transformed into sustainable economic opportunities while protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.
Welcoming participants, Abid Mumtaz, Conservator of Forests for Malakand East Forest Circle, highlighted the ecological, social, and economic significance of NTFPs in KP.
He emphasized that the province possesses an abundance of medicinal and aromatic plants, mushrooms, honey, and other forest-based resources which, if managed responsibly, could significantly strengthen rural livelihoods while conserving biodiversity.
Throughout the workshop, participants discussed sustainable harvesting techniques, biodiversity conservation, supply chain management, traceability systems, value addition, and market linkages.
Experts stressed the importance of improving quality standards, adopting responsible harvesting methods, and ensuring transparency in supply chains to increase the competitiveness of locally sourced NTFPs in national and international markets.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/climate-change-hits-nepals-honey-hunters/
Discussions also highlighted the need to empower local collectors and community enterprises through access to market information, modern processing techniques, and stronger partnerships with industries and traders.
Participants noted that NTFPs hold tremendous potential for poverty reduction, green entrepreneurship, biodiversity conservation, and climate-resilient economic growth in the province.
Addressing the concluding session, Syed Hasnain Abbas, Director Research and Development, praised the active participation of stakeholders and reaffirmed the Forest Department’s commitment to promoting sustainable forest-based livelihoods through research, innovation, capacity building, and market-oriented interventions.
He said effective valorization of NTFPs could transform forests into engines of inclusive development by generating employment opportunities while encouraging the conservation of the province’s natural heritage.
The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates and commemorative shields among participants, marking another step toward building a resilient and sustainable NTFP sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For Attaur Rehman, however, the significance of forests and bees goes far beyond policy discussions and workshops. They represent survival, dignity, and a second chance at life.
“Beekeeping gave me a second chance in life,” he said with a smile. “Now I want others to see the opportunities hidden in our forests.”
The feature story was released by APP on June 23, 2026.
