Growers Warned to Prepare for Varroa Pollination Challenges

Australian horticulture producers are being urged to rethink how they secure pollination services, following renewed warnings about the long-term impacts of Varroa mite.

The call comes from the NFF Horticulture Council and the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council after ABC Landline highlighted growing concerns around pollination reliability in a Varroa-endemic Australia.

Varroa is now established across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT, with the national Transition to Management program concluding earlier this year.

NFF Horticulture Council Executive Officer Richard Shannon says growers can no longer rely on feral bee populations for free pollination and should instead treat pollination as a planned farm input.

AHBIC Chief Executive Danny Le Feuvre says beekeepers are facing ongoing hive management costs and increasing challenges from chemical resistance, making cooperation between growers and pollination providers more important than ever.

The two organisations will host a national webinar in August, aimed at helping growers develop pollination plans and secure hive availability well ahead of flowering periods.