Honey Bee & Pollination

About the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program

The AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program invests in research that ensures a productive, sustainable and profitable beekeeping industry and secures the pollination of Australia’s horticultural and agricultural crops. The Program focuses on supporting the longevity of the honey bee and pollination industry in Australia with four priority areas:

• Improve hive productivity with innovative pest and disease control, feeding, breeding, and automation solutions
• Improve pollination, floral resource access and industry sustainability
• Enhance industry capability
• Deliver quality Australian honey with well characterised attributes and traceability.

The AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Strategic RD&E Plan identifies and balances the research, development and extension priorities and outcomes to promote industry productivity, profitability and sustainability.

Download the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination RD&E Plan 2020-25

About your levy

The Australian honey bee and pollination industry operates under a statutory levy of 5.6 cents per kilogram of honey sold or used, across both domestic and export markets. The levy applies only to businesses producing more than 1,500 kg of honey annually, with 1.5 cents per kilogram directed to AgriFutures Australia to manage ongoing research, development and extension (RD&E) that strengthens the industry.

Levies are collected under the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Acts and can fund biosecurity, residue testing, marketing, and RD&E. For honey bees, AgriFutures Australia invests the RD&E levy in line with the industry’s Strategic Plan and receives Commonwealth matching funding (up to 50c per dollar of eligible expenditure), along with third-party contributions.

Find out more about your levy
View the Chicken Meat Annual Report Summary

Collaboration

We are committed to working closely with all those involved in the bee industry, including Advisory Panels and industry associations to identify research priorities and make Program investments which will have the greatest impact on the industry.

Learn about the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Advisory Panel
Visit Australian Honey Bee and Pollination Industry Council (AHBIC)

Contact

If you’re passionate about honey bee and pollination research or beekeeping industry in Australia, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a beekeeper, researcher, or interested in being involved in the industry, reach out to the AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program.

For project-related inquires:

Luke Evans
Manager, Levied Industries – Honey Bee & Pollination Program

0486 366 804

Mia Lorber-Hughes
Coordinator, Levied Industries – Honey Bee & Pollination Program

0437 811 347

For industry and strategic issues and inquiries:

Amanda Olthof
Senior Manager, Levied & Emerging Industries – Honey Bee & Pollination Program

0499 384 037