THE federal government has committed to invest in raising awareness of the crucial role bees play in agriculture as well as breeding better bees to pollinate our food crops, according to Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout bees, two thirds of Australian agricultural production would be at risk,\u201d Mr Littleproud said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBees pollinate our fruit, vegetables and other crops, including those which feed the livestock which supply our meat. We need healthy bees for our food security.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual economic value of honey bee pollination in Australia is around $14.2 billion, which is 140 times greater than the $100 million annual value of the honey bees produce.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll invest $1.5 million to promote the role of bees in agriculture and the entire food chain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will inform farmers and the community on how they can protect bees, reducing risks of their decline and increasing their numbers in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgrifutures Australia will coordinate delivery of the project and work closely with apiarist organisations to make sure it\u2019s done well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll also invest $1.65 million to breed honey bees with improved traits for primary producers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe funding will contribute to a national genetic improvement program that will have benefits for decades to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will result in more efficient bees to drive our horticulture and broadacre industries that depend on honey bee pollination.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project could create gains of $41 million in honey production alone over 25 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The funding for the breeding program will come from the Rural R and D for profit program.<\/p>\n
In 2016, the federal government invested $5.2 million in a Securing Pollination project, to assess the contribution of pollinators to nine crops, reestablish native vegetation to support pollinator food and nesting resources, and use new technologies to communicate the findings to crop farmers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE federal government has committed to invest in raising awareness of the crucial role bees play in agriculture as well as breeding better bees to pollinate our food crops, according to Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud. \u201cWithout bees, two thirds of Australian agricultural production would be at risk,\u201d Mr Littleproud said. \u201cBees pollinate our fruit, […]<\/p>\n