Almond growers are facing multi-million dollar losses because of a shortage of bee hives due to varroa mite restrictions, according to the almond board of Australia.
Board chief executive Tim Jackson says growers face “significant” losses because of a ban on NSW hives being moved into Victoria coinciding with the start of the pollination season.
Mr Jackson says the ban could lead to a fall in almond production of 30,000 tonnes, costing the industry enormous sums.
“It’s potentially a multi-million dollar loss,” he told AAP.
Victoria grows 60 per cent of the country’s almonds, while the industry had hoped to produce 165,000 tonnes across Australia this year. It would have been its first first billion dollar crop.
“There’s a lot of anxiety around what reduced crop potential this is going to create,” Mr Jackson said.
After touring regional Victoria last week, he says the ban on NSW bees entering the state has left Victorian growers short of 50,000 hives – a third of the total needed.
Talks broke down between the industry and Victorian officials late last week.
“There is a refusal from Victoria to allow NSW bees in,” Mr Jackson said.
“We have been unable to broker any sort of compromise or solution that would allow enough bees situated in NSW back into Victoria for this year’s pollination.”
The varroa mite was discovered near Newcastle, north of Sydney, on June 22, sparking a biosecurity lockdown on the movement of hives across several states.
It has since spread to 79 premises throughout NSW, with several biosecurity zones set up around Newcastle, the Central Coast, north coast and in the north and northwest of the state.
Mr Jackson says growers are frustrated by a lack of a co-ordinated approach between the states.
Queensland, South Australia and Victoria all have restrictions in place on the movement of bees from NSW.
“Here we are with COVID all over again, where states are putting themselves ahead of the national interest,” he said.
“Victoria is magnified simply because of the volume of bees that are needed from NSW.”
The Victorian department of agriculture and minster for agriculture have been contacted for comment.
On the department’s website it states anyone seeking to move bees, hives, used beekeeping equipment and bee products – including pollen and honeycomb – into Victoria from NSW must obtain a permit.
But Mr Jackson says the deadline for applications was the end of July, and as far he is aware no permits have been granted since that time.
He is calling for state borders to be open to the relocation of hives under the same restrictions as within NSW, which allows movement in low-risk areas with a permit and under strict supervision.
