$1.5m funds added to the honey pot

THEY make a $14.2 billion dollar contribution to the economy each year through pollination services — and now Australia’s beekeepers will benefit from a major funding boost.

Federal Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie yesterday announced $1.5 million in funding to help protect the country’s bee population.

The money will be managed by AgriFutures Australia, which will work with the Australian Honey Bee Council and state associations to develop resources to raise awareness among professional and recreational beekeepers, as well as the general public, about what can be done to protect bees.

There are 12,000 registered beekeepers across the country and annual honey and beeswax sales are worth around $45 million a year.

“It is essential that we as a nation look after our bees,” Ms McKenzie said.

Ms McKenzie said the money would be used to help prevent the potentially devastating varroa mite impacting on the bee industry.

It also will be used to increase the skills of apiarists, to research the use of nonobtrusive hive assessment methods and to increase awareness about the importance of healthy bee populations. About 70 per cent of the honey produced in Australia is from native flora.

The funding announcement has been welcomed by Tasmanian Beekeepers Association president Lindsay Bourke. He said any funding to help improve research in the bee industry and raise community awareness about the importance of bees was welcome.