R&D Plan

Objectives

The 2007-2012 Honeybee R&D Program is driven by the following objectives:

Pest and disease protection – to be prepared for exotic pest and disease incursion before it occurs; to prevent the establishment of exotic pests and diseases of economic significance; and to control endemic pests and diseases that impact on beekeeper profitability (45%);

Productivity and profitability enhancement to lift beekeeper income – to encourage a culture of constant improvement in bee husbandry and management; to provide an across- the- board lift to industry productivity and profitability; and to focus productivity improvement on bee genetics, best management practices, beekeeper efficiencies and industry benchmarking (15%);

Resource access security and knowledge – to ensure ongoing access to native forests on public lands; to win back a share of native forest access lost in previous resource allocation decisions; to better understand the native floral resource on which the industry depends; and to address the implications of climate change on the Australian apiary industry (10%);

Pollination research – to better understand the cost and value of pollination services provided by beekeepers; and to generate industry value through shared learning with crop producers, especially the Australian almond industry (10%);

Income diversification including new product development – to provide a major boost to packaged bee sales, an area of strong competitive advantage for the Australian industry; and to develop new Australian apiary products which represent secondary niche opportunities (10%); and

Extension, communication and capacity building – to improve industry performance through the adoption of relevant R&D project outcomes and beekeeper participation in vocational training; to educate the public and policy makers on the economic contribution made by the honeybee industry; and to build capacity in the Australian honeybee industry by encouraging the next generation of industry leaders and researchers (10%).

Program budget allocations are flexible and will be guided by the Honeybee R&D Committee.

The plan is consistent with RIRDC’s overriding aim of maximising the contribution its investments make to the profitability, sustainability and resilience of rural industries and communities.

To download a full copy of the Honeybee Five Year R&D Plan click here.