Australian govt announces $1m grant to save honey bees

CANBERRA - The Australian government has announced funding to protect honey bees from extinction on Wednesday "to ensure bee health and longevity".

Bridget McKenzie, the minister for Agriculture, announced the 1.5-million-Australian dollar ($1.02-million) grant to AgriFutures Australia, an organisation that focuses on the future of Australian agriculture, to "fund activities to support the Australian honey bee industry and to promote the crucial role the humble bee plays in supporting food production."

"The role of honey bees in agriculture and horticulture cannot be understated. The annual economic value of honey bee pollination in Australia is 14.2 billion Australian dollars," McKenzie said.

"Pollination is essential for staples like apples and pears, cherries, berries, almonds and canola. That's why we need to maintain the health of our bees and reduce risks to their population."

McKenzie said AgriFutures Australia will use the money to work alongside the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council to "raise awareness among professional beekeepers, recreational beekeepers and the public, about what they can do to help protect our buzzing pollinators."

"They'll also support research to develop new non-obtrusive methods of hive assessment to enable early identification of bee and hive health problems."