Industry Advisory Committee Annual Report 2012/13 - Apple And Pear Australia Ltd (Page 14 of 32) in pdf

OBJECTIVE 4

Market access and biosecurity

Protecting pollination

The Pollination Program manages a

pollination services if Varroa wipes out

and cargo ship monitoring equipment

number of research projects, with the

incidental pollination.

to attract exotic bees which may carry

aim of securing the future of Australia’s

exotic bee pests.

• A gathering of industry experts in

horticultural and agricultural crop pollination

Canberra to investigate both chemical

• Communication, including pollination

on a sustainable and proﬁtable basis.

and non-chemical options for the control

education, extension and capacity

The program is a jointly funded partnership

of Varroa mite. International experts

building.

with the Rural Industries Research

also provided a perspective on the

In addition to planning and preparation, the

and Development Corporation (RIRDC),

experiences of other countries in their

program is working in the following areas:

Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and

management and mismanagement of

the Australian Government Department of

Varroa.

• Work closely with the federal government

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

to develop a honeybee industry and

• A pollination manual has also being

pollination continuity strategy, should

The impact of an exotic pest or disease

written to provide practical advice for

Varroa mite become established in

incursion is considered to be the most

Australian and New Zealand beekeepers

Australia.

signiﬁcant risk to the beekeeping industry,

and the many growers reliant on them

and in turn, the industries reliant on

for crop production. The manual will

• Plant Health Australia (PHA) is working

pollination. One of the key threats is Varroa

provide straightforward information that

closely with the honeybee and pollination

mite, and much of the activity in the years

readers can readily apply to optimise

industries to develop an Apiary Industry

the program has been running has focused

pollination and promote good pollination

Biosecurity Manual. The manual aims to

on this pest. If Varroa mite, or similar bee

practices.

reduce the risk of exotic and established

pests reach Australian shores and becomes

pests impacting a number of bee and

Throughout 2012/13, several projects are

entrenched, it is expected to cost between

pollination-reliant industries.

continuing their work to raise awareness of

$21 million and $50 million per year over

the importance of pollination and the need

30 years. The loss of pollination by both

RIRDC funds for the program are provided by

to plan and prepare for Varroa mite:

managed and wild European honeybees has

the Honeybee Research and Development

the potential to impact a range of fruits,

Program, with industry levies matched

• In recognition of the importance of

vegetables and pastures.

by funds provided by the Australian

ports in detecting bee pests, the Bee

Force trial has been set up around

Government. Funding from HAL for the

Achievements of the program to date

program is from the apple and pear, almond,

the ports of Melbourne, Geelong

include:

avocado, cherry, vegetable and summerfruit

and Avalon, giving a number of

• The release of the report Future

urban beekeepers a role in providing

levies, and voluntary contributions from

Surveillance Needs for Honeybee

surveillance of exotic pests.

the dried prune and melon industries,

Biosecurity, which conﬁrmed exotic bee

with matched funds from the Australian

pests to have the potential to reach

• Applications are being prepared,

Government.

Australia onboard ships and their

seeking permits from the Australian

cargoes.

Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines

For more information, visit

Authority (APVMA) to allow the use

pollination.

• A simulation exercise which tested

of three Varroa mite control products

the likely impact of Varroa mite, which

currently available in New Zealand.

brought together biosecurity regulators

These approvals will be held in

from both plant and animal industries.

‘reserve’, for use in the event of an

After participating in the exercise,

incursion.

regulators conﬁrmed how difﬁcult

Varroa mite would be to eradicate and

• Consultation with a wide variety of

acknowledged the ﬂow-on impact to

stakeholders to assess the level of

horticultural and other plant industries.

interest in a Cooperative Research

Centres (CRC) bid for the honeybee and

• The launch of the report Pollination

pollination industries.

Aware in August 2010, which highlighted

the risks associated with Australia’s

• Experience overseas shows early

reliance on incidental pollination, and

detection is vital in dealing with foreign

the beneﬁts to yield and quality if plants

bee pests and diseases. Once they

are pollinated at optimal levels. Major

become established, they are almost

steps were made in quantifying the

impossible to eradicate. The latest

value of pollination to each of the 35 key

surveillance projects aim to develop

industries, and the likely demand for paid

port monitoring equipment in bee hives

Industry Advisory Committee Annual Report 2012/13 - Apple And Pear Australia Ltd Page 14

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