Search Results for: Honeybee
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Go West! AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Advisory Panel heads to Western Australia
The Cooperative Research Centre for Honey Bee Products (CRC HBP) is looking forward to continued collaboration and cooperation with the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination program, following a recent visit by the AgriFutures Australia Honey Bee & Pollination Advisory Panel.An Economic Evaluation of AgriFutures’ Investment in the AgriFuturesTM Honey Bee & Pollination Program (2015-2019)
This project “An Economic Evaluation of AgriFutures Australia’s Investment in the AgriFutures™ Honey Bee & Pollination Program (2015-2019)” assessed the benefit-cost ratio of 17 RD&E projects across the AgriFuturesTM Honey Bee & Pollination Program. It took into account proposals, reports and results, as well as key publications and found an estimated $4 return* for every $1 invested by industry.Where would we be without bees?
Can you imagine life in Australia without macadamias, avocados or blueberries? Our bees are about so much more than just honey. Once we acknowledge the vital role they play in our food security there are some critical, yet simple, things we can do to help secure the future of our honey bee industry.Industry summary
The buzz of the nation: The European honey bee and its remarkable impact on Australian agriculture
Small in size but extraordinarily influential, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has a remarkable impact on our food and livelihoods. About two-thirds of Australian agricultural production benefits from insect pollination — most of which is provided by honey bees — while apiarists across the country produce almost 40,000 tonnes of honey per year. The commercial and recreational sectors combined are worth $623.8 million to the economy. The contribution of honey bee pollination to crop production is $4.6 billion. Without question, the humble honey bee is critical to the prosperity and sustainability of Australian agriculture, contributing to its progress towards the $100 billion goal.Industry facts and figures Across Australia, there are almost 2,000 commercial beekeeping enterprises and more than 47,000 recreational beekeepers. The upsurge in the number of recreational beekeepers since 2019 may be due to increased awareness of the importance of honey bees, the uptake of new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic and existing unrecorded hobbyists registering in response to government requests post the June 2022 varroa mite incursion. Beekeeping is most popular in New South Wales — the state is home to 31 per cent of the nation’s beekeepers and 46 per cent of its hives. Of the 866,045 hives nationwide, 630,490 are operated by commercial beekeepers and are available to pollinate Australia’s diverse range of food crops. In the past five years, commercial and recreational beekeepers collectively produced an average of 39,600 tonnes of honey. The average price beekeepers received for their honey in 2023-2024 was $4.90/kg, down from $6.50/kg in the late 2010s. The value of honey, beeswax and additional hive products produced by commercial and recreational beekeepers, and income received from paid pollination services in 2023 was $623.8 million. The value of crops grown in Australia in 2020-2021 that are at least partially reliant on honey bee pollination was $12.9 billion. The economic contribution of honey bee pollination to Australian crop production in 2020-2021 was $4.6 billion. The importance of honey bee pollination to individual crops varies based on the value of production and how reliant the crop is on pollination for yield. Almond, apple, avocado, blueberry, buckwheat, cucumber, muskmelon, nashi pear, pumpkin, rubus and a range of seed production are 100 per cent reliant on managed and wild honey bee pollination for yield. Economically, about $580 million worth of Australian canola depends on honey bees, as does $450 million worth of lucerne and clover, and $400 million worth of apple.
Commercial honey producers, pollinators and researchers wanted: Applications now open for AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program Advisory Panel
AgriFutures Australia is encouraging commercial honey producers and/or pollinators as well as honey and honey bee researchers, with an interest in contributing to the profitability and sustainability of the Honey Bee industry, to apply for a position on the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Advisory Panel.News story
National survey launched to tackle Varroa mite threat to honey bees
Australia’s beekeepers are being urged to complete the Australian Colony Loss Survey as part of a national effort to understand the impact of the Varroa mite (Varroa) outbreak and improve hive health management.Optimising bioactive content of Australian stingless bee honey
Australia has 11 native stingless bee species (genera Tetragonula and Austroplebeia), and as in other tropical regions across the world, the stingless bee industry is a rapidly growing emerging industry. Yet Australian stingless bees remain understudied. Honey produced by these native pollinators has long been purported to have beneficial health properties, and these claims have been substantiated by the discovery (from this work) that the low GI sugar trehalulose is a major component in these honeys. Research conducted in this project has for the first time established the origin of this rare sugar, and examined honeys from different sources to better understand conditions under which trehalulose is formed. The natural distribution of stingless bees in Australia ranges from the sub-tropical coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland to the tropical coasts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. This project has examined honey produced by different stingless bee species across wide-ranging environments throughout these regions, from suburban backyards to horticultural crops. The characteristic profiles of both sugar composition and organic acids produced under these conditions have been documented. These provide valuable data to support the development of a Food Standard and also to safeguard the consumer against fraudulent substitution. These research outcomes will support the Australian Native Bee Association in its quest for an Australian Food Standard to enable stingless bee honey to be accepted as a specialist food commodity, with trehalulose used as a specific marker of authenticity of this high-value product. This improved understanding of the beneficial value of Australian stingless bee honey, and expanding its applications in food, have the potential to support the development of a new industry for Australian native stingless bees beyond pollination services and hobby beekeeping.News story, Fact sheet, Final report, Media release, Podcast
Varroa resources launched
In a critical juncture for the honey bee industry, AgriFutures Australia in partnership with the industry’s peak national representative body, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) is set to launch a suite of Varroa Mite (Varroa Destructor) focused resources.News story
Empowering emerging beekeepers: Meet the future leaders
The honey bee industry is buzzing with potential as the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program Future Leaders Bursary introduces a new wave of talented young professionals poised to drive innovation and sustainability.Preliminary investigations into new opportunities for the production of premium and medicinal honey
Beekeeping in Australia has thrived on our unique native flora and mild climate, resulting in the healthiest honey bees in the world and the cleanest honey bee products available. However, stresses are becoming evident, with demand for insect pollination growing and the loss of spring flora impacting honey bee colony strength and subsequently pollination services. Pasture legume species are recognised as a quality floral resource as they provide crucial crude proteins for bee health. These exotic legume species can provide supplementary floral resources for apiarists in Australia while also providing a valuable animal fodder resource with their complementary nitrogen-fixation ability, reducing the need for manufactured nitrogen fertiliser. Annual and perennial pasture legume species can also be supplementary forage resources for endemic bees and other flower visitors increasingly impacted by climate change and fire. This project was designed to provide a selection of bee-friendly pasture plant species suited to southern Australia, with information on their flowering windows and quality of pollen and nectar, for beekeepers, agriculture pollination services and pasture managers. Honey profiles, bioactivity and medicinal characteristics were explored for their commercial value.Industry Development Grant Project_Cooper Schouten
... and a Certificate in Governance and Risk Management through the GovernanceInstitute ($3,570). The applicant is prepared to cover travel and on-ground costs associatedwith training and will make a personal contribution for the additional funds ($2,145)required. Without the support of The Honeybee...
Working with pollination dependent industries
Did you know that the pollination industry is worth anywhere from $8 billion and $20 billion? In fact, the real figure is probably much higher as that study by Curtin University did not include the pollination of lucerne and clover which supports out cattle industry.Ann Ross’ innovative hive is changing Australian beekeeping
To celebrate International Day of Rural Women, we are shining a light on some of the incredible women from regional, rural and remote parts of Australia who we get to work with at AgriFutures Australia. One of these incredible women is Ann Ross.Greenhouse Production of High Grade Medical Mono Floral Manuka Honey
... in an enclosed environment.2. Produce the world's first high grade mono floral Manuka honey in shade houses integrated with honeybees. Prove the commercial viability of "pure" high grade Manuka honey production in enclosed environment thereby reducing risks associated with impurities.3. Define the factors affecting the production of high-grade Manuka honey in enclosed spaces PRO_CLAQ...
AgriFutures Australia and Australian Honey Bee Industry Council releases bee management information for drought and fire affected areas
... feeding wither in-hive or in an open feeder.This open resource was developed by Dr Doug Somerville with support from the AgriFutures Honey Bee Program and Australian Honeybee Industry Council, the resource is available here: Management of bee nutrition in drought and fire affected areas....
News story
Learning how to live with Varroa
... Coordinator for the Australian Honeybee Industry Council (AHBIC). She’s recently returned from a tour of New Zealand with industry colleagues, including Bee Biosecurity Officers (BBOs), sponsored by AgriFutures Australia .Australian BBOs work under the National Bee Biosecurity Program, a national industry...