Australian pollination costs and challenges are rising

Australian growers are facing intensified pollination challenge this year due to the following reasons both on the supply and the demand sides:

• Covid-19 restrictions and border closing are causing difficulties to transfer beehive between states.

• Loss of beehives in summer bush fires and decline in bee population due to exposure to smoke. Bush fires decimated the habitat of all pollinators.

• A continuous drought is putting bee forage under stress and making it difficult for beekeepers to keep bees in top conditions for pollination, so costs of bee keeping are rising.

• Demand is rising, more and more almond orchards are maturing and coming to production. Competition of pollination services with other crops growers of avocado, macadamia and blueberries is pushing the prices of pollination services up

Edete's artificial pollination will be able to help growers secure their agricultural yields. Growers will be able to stock fewer beehives per hectare or rely solely on Edete's services.

Listen to Eddie Summerfield interview with North West Victorian Almond Pollination Coordinator Trevor Monson on the raising costs and challenges of pollination.