Honey producers make bee-line to boost biosecurity levy
September 19, 2014
From: Government News (Australia)
By Marie Sansom
Australian honey might be regarded as among the world’s tastiest and purest sticky spreads, but there are mounting fears inadequate funding for countermeasures to keep out introduced pests could be a biosecurity disaster in the making.
The Australian honey bee industry is pushing for an increase to a honey levy paid by larger commercial honey producers in order to defend its beehives from disease and keep Australian crops and honey pure.
***
If approved, the move would raise $460,000 per year to fund the development of the National Bee Biosecurity Program, which fights established diseases endemic to Australia, like American Foulbrood (AFB) and the Small Hive Beetle, and the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program, an early warning system designed to help keep Australia free of pest bees and bee pests from elsewhere.
The AHBIC has argued that keeping in check dangerous endemic disease like AFB – which exists in every honey-producing state – will mean hives are checked more regularly and exotic pests may also be discovered and that Australian bees will be more resistance to foreign pests like the Varroa mite which has caused terrible devastation among European bee populations.
Leave a Comment