Size and scope of the Australian honey bee and pollination industry – a snapshot

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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. 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 62% decline in the number of commercial beekeepers. However, the average number of hives managed by a commercial beekeeper has increased from 156 in 1962 to 299 hives in 2018.
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. 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 62% decline in the number of commercial beekeepers. However, the average number of hives managed by a commercial beekeeper has increased from 156 in 1962 to 299 hives in 2018. Prior to this project, there was a gap in knowledge on the status of the industry that hindered effective research, development, and extension (RD&E) delivery. This research project provided a detailed statistical analysis of the honey bee and pollination industry in Australia. It sourced and analysed the most accurate data available on the number of beekeepers, hives, enterprise structure, the location of honey production, the volume of honey production, honey and other hive values, export and import of hive products, and food production supported by honey bee pollination.