Australian honey bee industry: 2014-15 survey results

Overview
ABARES has produced a report containing the results of analysis of beekeeping financial and physical performance data collected from beekeeping businesses in 2015-16. Key performance measures for beekeeping businesses are presented, including analysis of pollination services, use of public lands, challenges facing the beekeeping industry and the extent to which research and information is sought and implemented.

The report draws on data from the ABARES Australian Honey Bee Industry Survey conducted in 2016. It provides government and industry stakeholders with important data for analysing the current situation of Australian beekeeping businesses, as well as monitoring changes from previous surveys conducted in 2002 and 2008.

The survey was funded by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, as part of the Australian Government's response to a recommendation from the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee report from 2014 on the future of the beekeeping and pollination service industries in Australia.

Key Issues
• Over 13,000 registered beekeepers operate across Australia. The number of commercial beekeepers fell by 25 per cent over the 10 years to 2015-16. • Most honey produced came from non-agricultural private land (39 per cent) or public land (39 per cent). 23 per cent was produced from agricultural land. Larger businesses were more likely to derive a greater proportion of total honey produced from public land. • The majority of beekeeping cash receipts came from honey sales (85 per cent) in 2014-15. Cash receipts from paid pollination were the second largest component of receipts (11 per cent). Business cash income averaged $70 400 and was significantly higher in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. • Small operators had negative business profit and rate of return in 2014-15, while small-medium, medium and large operators experienced increasingly large positive rates of return and business profit. • Paid pollination was conducted by around 44 per cent of beekeepers in 2014-15. The proportion of beekeepers and the value of payments received were higher in areas that produced large amounts of bee-pollination dependent crops such as almonds and cherries. • Drought was the most commonly cited challenge to honey production by beekeepers over the 5 years ending 2014-15 (70 per cent of beekeepers). Half of beekeeping businesses indicated that the use of agricultural chemicals negatively impacted floral resources available and thus their honey production. • The most common disease and pest affecting beekeepers over the 5 years ending 2014-15 were chalkbrood and the small hive beetle. The greatest financial impacts were caused by the small hive beetle and American foulbrood. • Nearly three quarters of beekeeping businesses changed their management practices in 2014-15 as a result of research. Large businesses were more responsive to research findings than smaller operators.