Honey export is becoming a good business for people in Pakistan who want to export things. People who export honey can make a lot of money. Between 40 percent and 60 percent more than what they spend. Not many people are exporting honey so it is not very competitive. Also people around the world want to buy honey. Honey, which is also called shehad in Pakistan is a product for people who want to start an export business.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about honey export. You will learn about the types of honey that are available, in Pakistan. You will also learn where honey is made in Pakistan and how it is processed. The guide will tell you which countries buy the honey and how much money you need to start a honey export business.
Why Honey Is a Thing to Export
Picking the right product is super important if you want to succeed in exporting. Lots of exporters fail because they choose the wrong product for the wrong market. Honey is a choice because:
- It is in demand all over the world and people always want it
- There is not much competition from other Pakistani exporters
- You can make a lot of profit from exporting honey. Up to 60%
- Pakistan makes some kinds of honey that are hard to find elsewhere
Pakistans Place in the World Honey Market
There are 34 countries that make and export honey. Pakistan is around 20th on that list. We make about 16,000 tons of honey every year.. Only a quarter of that gets exported. The reason is that many small businesses and producers don’t know how to export honey. This is a chance, for new exporters who are willing to learn.
Types of Honey Available in Pakistan
Pakistan makes around twenty kinds of honey but only a few are really popular outside the country. The kinds of honey that people want to buy the most are
- Cider or Berry Honey which is also called Ber Honey
- Acacia Honey
- Orange Honey
- Rapeseed or Mustard Honey
- Eucalyptus Honey
- Litchi Honey
- Sunflower Honey
- Karanga Pogam Honey
- Multi-Flower Himalayan Honey
- Wild Flower Honey
Pakistan also makes kinds of honey that people know about like Acacia, Alfalfa, Avocado, Basswood, Blueberry, Buckwheat, Clover, Canola and Fireweed honey.
The Best One Berry Honey
Out of all the kinds of honey Berry Honey also called Cider Honey is the one that Pakistan’s most famous for. It is like Himalayan Pink Salt, which’s very special. This honey is made from the flowers of berries. It is very hard to find outside of Pakistan which makes it very wanted by people all, over the world.
Twenty five percent of all the honey that Pakistan sells to other countries comes from the places where Berry Honey is made.. Ninety percent of the honey made in those places is Berry Honey. Because it is so rare and so good Berry Honey is the valuable kind of honey that Pakistan has.
Where Is Honey Produced in Pakistan
The good news for exporters is that honey, especially berry honey is available in all four provinces of Pakistan.
Punjab
- Chakwal
- Gujjar Khan
- Attock
- Sargodha
- Daska
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)
- Karak
- Kohat
- Swat
- Bannu
Balochistan
- Quetta
- Ziarat Valley
- Nasirabad
- Kalat
Sindh
- Sujawal
- Hyderabad
- Mirpur Khas
- Gulachi
If you are looking for berry honey the best areas are in Punjab and KPK in Kohat, Chakwal, Tala Gang, Mianwali, Bannu, Nizampur and Dadra.
Types of Honey Bees in Pakistan
Pakistan has four types of honey bees. Three are native to Pakistan. One was brought from another country.
- Apis dorsata
- Apis florea
- Apis cerana
- Apis mellifera was brought from Europe 20 years ago.
The Apis mellifera bee has become very popular in Pakistan with over 150,000 colonies active, across the country. This type of bee produces very high-quality honey.
Types of Processed Honey
When selling honey abroad customers often have requirements. It’s crucial to understand these categories before finding a supplier:
- Filtered Honey. Basic filtering; might still have wax bits
- Ultra-Filtered Honey. Impurities removed under pressure for a product
- Pressed (Pachara) Honey
- Monofloral Honey. Comes from one type of flower
- Flavored Honey. Has artificial fruit flavors added
- Infused Honey
- Dry Honey
- Honey Sticks
Customers usually specify which type of honey they want so knowing what your supplier offers is vital.
HS Code for Exporting Honey
For customs and export papers the HS Code for honey is 0409.00 no matter the variety. This code is for honey only. Not fake or synthetic honey products.
Profit Margins for Honey Exports
Exporting honey can be profitable with a margin of 40% to 60%. This makes honey one of the lucrative export options, for small and medium-sized exporters.
Uses of Honey in International Markets
Honey is in demand because it can be used in many ways across different industries:
- Food industry: people eat it directly add it to tea, coffee, desserts and ice cream
- Cosmetics industry: it is used in skincare and beauty products
- Pharmaceutical industry: it is used in home remedies and herbal medicine
- Food processing: it is used as a natural sweetener in manufactured food products
Top Importing Countries
Pakistan sells honey to many countries, including:
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- China
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Afghanistan
- United States
- UAE
- Malaysia
- Mozambique
- Iraq
- Djibouti
- Canada
- Morocco
- Belgium
However most of Pakistans honey exports go to five countries:
- Saudi Arabia – it gets about 70% of Pakistans honey exports
- United States
- Oman
- Qatar
- China
If you want to find buyers you should focus on these five markets.
Global Competitors in Honey Export
Pakistan is ranked around 20th in the world for honey exports so it is essential to understand the competition. The top honey-exporting countries are:
- India – it is the exporter
- China
- Turkey
- Argentina
- Ukraine
There is competition from these countries but Pakistan has some special types of honey, like berry honey that give it an advantage.
Market Growth
The honey export market around the world is doing well. It is growing every year. In some places honey exports are even growing by much as 40 percent each year. This is a sign for people who want to start a honey export business.
Investment Required
Honey is sold in containers. Each container can hold around 23 tons of honey. The price of honey varies a lot. It depends on the type of honey its quality and how it is packaged.
- A basic container of honey can cost around ₹1 lakh.. This price can vary a lot depending on the type and weight of the honey.
- If you want to sell high-quality honey with packaging it can cost a lot more. You might even have to spend crores of rupees.
- If you want to export honey you need to package it. For this you should budget least ₹20 lakh.
Packaging Requirements
People who buy honey from countries expect it to be packaged in a certain way.
- Plastic jars are usually used to pack honey. These jars can hold around half a kilo to 1 kilo of honey. The plastic used should be safe for food.
- Glass bottles are also used to pack honey.. They need to be packed in a bigger box with foam to protect them during shipping. This is what international buyers expect from honey exporters, like the honey export market. The honey export market has packaging standards that need to be followed.
Honey Certifications and Inspections
When we talk about honey it is a food product so people who buy honey from countries especially in the Middle East and Europe they want to make sure it is of good quality.
- Halal Certificate
- ISO Certificate
- We check if the honey is pure by looking at inspection reports to see if someone has added water, sugar or other things to it
- We also check the moisture content, color, flavor, aroma and density of the honey
- And we do acidity and pollen analysis on the honey
People who buy honey in Europe are very particular about the quality they have a lot of rules to follow. On the hand people in the Middle East and the Gulf region are a bit easier to work with but they still want to see all the honey certifications.
Time to Buy Honey
In Pakistan we can only get honey at certain times of the year. The best time to buy honey is between September and October. If we buy honey during this time we can get a price and good quality honey.
Where to Get Honey Ready for Sale
We have two ways to get honey:
- We can buy honey directly from factories that already check the quality and do all the certifications this way it is easier for us
- We can buy honey directly from the people who have bees and then we do the processing and certifications ourselves
If we are new to selling honey it is better to work with a factory it is faster and we will have fewer problems, with the honey certifications and quality.
Final Thoughts
The honey export business from Pakistan is really special. It has a lot of things going for it. You can make a lot of money from it. There are not other people doing it in Pakistan. We have different types of honey especially the kind made from berries and cider. People in countries always want to buy honey.
If you want to sell honey to countries you need to do a few things. You need to find people who can give you honey in Punjab or KPK. You also need to get papers that say your honey is okay to eat, like Halal and ISO certification. Then you need to make friends with people who buy honey in Saudi Arabia, the US, Oman, Qatar and China. The honey export business from Pakistan can be very good, for you if you do these things.
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