The Land: Bee Industry’s Honey Drought — My Dad’s Honey Echuca

BY Denis Howard and Alexandra Bernard

YEARS of drought, bushfires, a Varroa mite incursion and now widespread flooding has NSW beekeepers feeling the pressure.

That’s according to NSW Apiarist Association president Steve Fuller.

Mr. Fuller said honey production will be down, but it is the flow-on effect for pollination which will have a significant impact on agriculture.

“It is too early to say at this stage how significant the impact will be,” he said.

The adverse weather has affected pollination of field crops, cherries, pumpkins and melons.

“Any crops which are low to the ground have been affected.

“Cherries have been really hit hard, even though they are on trees and above any floodwaters.

“The consistent heavy rains during the pollination period kept bees away and damaged flowers.

“The North Coast berry industry has been struggling to get bees since last December and this has been having a very big impact.

“I have heard it is costing them $250 million a quarter.”

Mr. Fuller said the decline in the bee population has also played its part.

“Everything that has happened over the past five years has NSW beekeepers hurting,” he said.

“When you think that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 bees per box and the amount of hives we have lost, there has been a very big decline in bee numbers.

“Just with the Varroa mite incursion, 18,500 hives have been euthanised and with two new identifications expanding the red zones, this doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon.”