Honey supplies will be halved this year, driving prices up as the drought continues to sting beekeepers across Australia.
Australia’s hottest year on record, in addition to floods and drought, has hit prime honey producing areas reducing nectar supplies from trees and ground cover.
The high temperatures have also caused stress and erratic behaviour in local bee populations and in extreme cases have caused beeswax in honeycombs to melt inside the hive. The bees are then forced to remain inside and collectively fan their wings in an attempt to keep the hive cool, leaving them with no time to collect nectar.
Trevor Weatherhead, executive director of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, said adverse weather conditions similar to 2002 had created a “perfect storm” for honey production.
“I would suspect in the supermarkets that the price would go up, there’s a fair chance of that,” he said.
The best shoppers can do to help the local industry is to continue to buy local honey and check labels that it is all Australian honey, he said. Beekeepers may also be forced to find casual jobs for income.
There is some concern that imported supplies, mostly from China, would be mixed with local honey, and be seen on labels as “Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients” which could contain up to 49 per cent imported honey.
Chinese honey is exported to India, Malaysia and other countries and then imported into America and Australia, and is used mostly in processed foods, such as muesli bars.
In the past Chinese honey has been found to contain antibiotics not used here, added sugar syrups and residues such as the antibiotic chloramphenicol, the use of which is specifically prohibited in food-producing animals in Australia.
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An estimated 65 per cent of agricultural production in Australia depends on pollination by honeybees with pollination services to Australian agriculture being valued at more $1.7 billion per annum
Trevor Weatherhead, executive director of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council
“There are no real barriers to imported honey at the moment. Imported honey does come in,” Mr Weatherhead said. “Most of the packers in Australia that supply the supermarkets try to keep Australian honey on the shelf.
“I would suspect that if (imported honey) is happening, there would be some sort of resistance.”
The flow-on effect of the nectar drought will also affect other agricultural supplies, such as almond production, he said.
“An estimated 65 per cent of agricultural production in Australia depends on pollination by honeybees with pollination services to Australian agriculture being valued at more $1.7 billion per annum,” he said.
Domestic Australian supermarket retail sales for honey are in excess of $150 million a year.
In a normal year 25,000-30,000 tonnes of honey produced in Australia.
“It could well be only half of that this year,” Mr Weatherhead said.
Woolworths said it will be working with suppliers, including Beechworth Honey, to maintain sufficient stock.
“After a terrific couple of years and some great innovation in our the honey range it’s disappointing that mother nature is not co-operating at the moment,” a Woolworths spokeswoman said. “We will continue to work closely with our suppliers and support them through this difficult time.”
Coles said availability has been largely unaffected as it has a broad supply base.
“We will continue to support the industry and work closely with our honey producers to remain flexible through these challenging conditions,” a spokeswoman said.
