Beekeepers Club > Newsletter
Q1-2010 Newsletter (by John Kennedy) ( view or download as pdf file)
NOTHING BUT THE FACTS!
The Club doesn't absolutely guarantee the accuracy of these figures but the consensus is that they are close to the mark.
The honeybee was introduced to Australia in 1822.
Our honey and bee products are worth $80 million annually but through pollination bees contribute $6 billion worth of agricultural production.
There are about 9,600 registered beekeepers in Australia and probably many more especially at the hobby scale who sadly don't register.
There are about 600,000 hives Australia-wide which produce about 300,000 tonnes of honey annually.
Sixty two percent of Australia's honey is produced by about 250 businesses operating over 500 hives.
One third of agricultural production around the globe relies on the honey bee.
And 70% of Australian honey is produced from native flora species especially eucalypts.
A third of Australia's honey is exported to over 50 countries.
So bee proud of our industry and talk it up at every opportunity you get!
RIRDC FINDS WIDER ROLE FOR HONEY
Australia's Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation says it has found out what Winnie the Pooh already knew.
That honey has a place in the medicine cabinet as well as the fridge or pantry.
Two RIRDC Studies An Investigation into the Therapeutic Properties of Honey and The Value-Adding Potential of Prebiotic Components of Australian Honey found that in future people may use hospital grade honey to treat skin and wound infections, or to promote good bacteria inside us.
The first report concludes that a number of Australian honeys exhibit therapeutically beneficial levels of antibacterial activity while other honeys were found to be successfully combating anaerobic pathogens.
The second report showed some Australian honeys have the potential to improve human gastrointestinal health which is an important component of overall human well being.
In particular some honeys were found to have prebiotic activity, meaning that they promote the healthy bacteria in the intestine which in turn can assist the body's immune system.
While its early days in the research work the RIRDC recommends further study into the medicinal benefits of honey.
But it says the projects provide valuable information to enable the bee-keeping industry to promote its products as a healthy and safe way to improve our general health and well being while enjoying one of nature's finest foods.
More information is available at www.rirdc.gov.au
RESEARCHING HEALTHY BEES
A research project underway at Perth's Murdoch University is working on producing bees that are free of Nosema Apis a fungus found in hives throughout the globe that limits lifespan and productivity.
The work is being done by an honours student Yan Peng who says if the result can be achieved it will increase the international demand for Western Australian bees., either as queen bees or as one or two kilogram packages.
Ms Peng says that come countries like Japan require that bees be free from Nosema Apis but this is virtually impossible currently.
"If we can find a cure for the disease or prevent it we can create an advantage for WA beekeepers to supply crucial markets in Asia, Europe and America" Ms Peng says.
Honeybees are born free of the disease but can contract it within a matter of hours as a result of their hive cleaning regime.
Three possible solutions are being investigated including producing nurse bees free of the disease that escort a queen bee during an export postage trip and this is considered a possible solution to satisfy the demand from Japan.
Another is using high temperatures to kill the spores without severely reducing the bee population and this has been successful with other Nosema species.
It is known that Nosema levels drop dramatically possibly due to high temperatures in their bodies while foraging.
The third method is by gamma irradiation which might be able to kill the Nosema spores within the nurse bees without harming them.
The project is also evaluating whether an artificial protein diets can replace pollen in stimulating a gland that produces royal jelly.
"Pollen is a good source of protein for honeybees but pollen can become scarce and expensive to buy. So if artificial food proves to be an effective replacement it could help beekeepers save money."
Ms Peng hopes to complete her thesis by the end of the year.
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR HIVES
Victoria's DPI is encouraging all beekeepers to obtain registration as a beekeeper following the discovery of unregistered hives in north east Victoria.
Joe Riordan the DPI's leading apiary inspector reminds us all that the law requires anyone who owned, had charge, care or possession of one or more hives to register as a beekeeper with the DPI.
"There are 2,117 beekeepers registered in Victoria and together they are managing over 100,000 hives.
"Honeybees like other livestock don't look after themselves and beehives can harbour both endemic and exotic pests and diseases that could seriously harm the Victorian honeybee industry" Riordan notes.
The current annual registration fee is only $15 for less than 61 hives and contact can be made through the DPI Hotline on 1800 356 761 or by emailing joe.riordan@dpi.vic.gov.au
CAPILANO WINES EXPORT AWARD
Honey industry major Capilano may be under financial stress according to recent reports in the business pages (and apparently implementing a restructure to pay down a report $10 million debt to its banker the NAB) but the company was successful in winning the national Agribusiness category in the recent annual Austrade Export Awards.
The Award recognises that the company which undertakes over 90 percent of all retail-packed honey exported from Australia makes it one of the most widely distributed Australian food brands internationally.
Key international markets include North America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe while earlier in 2009 Capilano won its first sales to South Korea after five years of persistence while new markets in India and China are also being sought.
Capilano a public company whose shares are listed on the Bendigo Stock Exchange recently said that worsening exchange rates for exporters and shrinking honey supplies largely due to the prolonged drought conditions were affecting its returns and it was budgeting for a $2 million loss for the first six months of the current financial year.
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