Honeybee Pollination and Apple Yields in Chitral, Pakistan; ICIMOD Working Paper 2017/19

Apple plays an important role in the livelihood of the farming community in Chitral, Pakistan. The commercial varieties of apple planted in orchards in Chitral, for example, Kala Kola (Red Delicious), Choupush (Royal Delicious), and Royal Gala, are reported to be partially or completely self-incompatible and require crosspollination for commercial yield and fruit quality. Honeybees are reported to play an important role in apple pollination. However, awareness about the crucial role of honeybees and beekeeping is lacking among farmers and development workers as well as at policy level in mountain areas of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) including Chitral.