Hive
+ Wellness, which sources honey from over half the country’s professional beekeepers
for use in its Capilano brand, has joined today with Rural Aid and peak
industry body The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC), to launch Hive
Aid, a drought and bushfire relief campaign aimed specifically at struggling
beekeepers.
The
company has warned Australia’s $58 billion agricultural industry is at risk as
it looks to garner urgent support for the nation’s “littlest livestock with the
biggest impact”, calling on consumers and government to back Australian
beekeepers and honey bees.
Hive
+ Wellness COO Ben McKee said: “Bees and beekeepers have a crucial role to play
in our food production, and right now they are in a battle for survival. Hive Aid
will provide much-needed assistance during some of the worst conditions in
memory.”
The
2019/2020 honey season is forecast to be the lowest on record, with drought and
bushfire decimating available water and flowering trees, and severe heat
further impacting survival and activity of bee populations.
“We are already seeing falling bee populations
and the increasing risk of an exodus from the industry by beekeepers who can no
longer maintain viable operations. If we don’t take immediate action, we risk
not just a fall in honey production, but declines in food production across the
board,” Mr McKee said.
“The
honey shortage is what consumers will see first, but the ramifications of the
current conditions are much greater. Bees are directly responsible for
pollinating one third of everything we eat – they have an impact on crops as
varied as apples, avocados and broccoli, as well as feed used for livestock.”
Hive
Aid will be overseen by AHBIC, and will provide financial and practical support
to professional beekeepers. The campaign sits alongside other programs run by
Rural Aid.
“Australia’s
professional beekeepers are the cornerstone of Australian agriculture. We need
to assist those currently impacted so that they don’t leave the industry, as
well as provide help for difficult conditions ahead,” Mr McKee said.
“It
is easy to overlook our littlest livestock and the forgotten farmers who care
for them, but there should be no doubt about their importance. The contribution
of honey bees to agriculture in Australia through pollination services is
estimated at up to $20 billion.”
Wayne Thomson, Rural
Aid National Business Development Manager said the campaign would provide
immediate practical assistance, such as supporting beekeepers with the cost of
water to sustain bees or the cost of fuel to transport hives to areas with more
nutritional resources for their bees. “Individual beekeepers may have different
needs – our support will enable funds to be directed where they are most needed,”
Mr Thomson said.
AHBIC
Chairman, Peter McDonald said: “AHBIC is excited to work with Hive + Wellness
and Rural Aid on this initiative. The industry’s challenges are very real, and
our members are telling us that they need urgent help.”
“Aside
from some indirect funding, fodder and freight subsidies, as well as waiving of
National Park permit and truck registration fees in NSW, there has not been any
adequate funding made available on a national level specifically for beekeepers
registered as primary producers,” he said.
Donations
to the Hive Aid can be made at www.ruralaid.org.au/hiveaid.
Professional
beekeepers are encouraged to register for assistance via www.ruralaid.org.au.
Hive
+ Wellness is the largest honey packer, marketer and supporter of beekeepers in
Australia. Rural Aid, best known for its successful “Buy a Bale” campaign, is
one of Australia’s largest rural charities. AHBIC is the peak body for
beekeepers, and works to ensure the long-term economic viability, security and
prosperity of the honey bee industry in Australia.
Contact: Carolyn Ryan, Associate Director, Daymark – 0468 924 777 Raylee Huggett, Media and Communications, Rural Aid – 0447 116 757
Notes:
The volume of farm production in Australia (crops, livestock, livestock
products) was forecast to be $58 billion in 2018/19 – see www.agriculture.gov.au
The value of
the Australian beekeeping industry to agricultural and horticultural
industries is estimated at between $8.35billion and $19.97billion – John M
Karasiński, 2018 The Economic Valuation of Australian Managed and Wild Honey
Bee Pollinators. Curtin University
