National Honey Bee Breeding Strategy 2024-2029
In all livestock industries, genetic selection has been used to increase animal productivity and, by extension, enterprise profitability. The Australian honey bee industry is no...
HONEY BEE & POLLINATION
The honey bee and pollination industry: A hive of activity
10 pages
Published: 15 Apr 2021
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The Australian honey bee industry is a significant contributor to the economy, not only in terms of honey production but as provider of pollination services for agriculture and horticulture including the almond industry. It’s estimated the annual total contribution of the humble honey bee to the Australian economy is $14.2 billion.
The industry has changed significantly since 1962 when commercial beekeepers began contributing to an industry levy. There has been a 10-fold increase in recreational beekeeping and a 36% decline in the number of commercial beekeepers. Despite this, the average number of hives managed by a commercial beekeeper has increased from 156 in 1962 to 299 hives in 2018.
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