PROTECTING THE NEW SOUTH WALES APIARY INDUSTRY AND KEEPING BEEKEEPERS IN JOBS
Upskilling Beekeepers
Subsidized Courses in Pollination, Biosecurity and Queen Breeding
Beekeeping is a highly skilled profession requiring knowledge of the land, floral resources, bee husbandry, hive construction and maintenance and honey processing. Often this knowledge is passed from generation to generation and learnt “on the job”. However, in order to remain competitive and have the capacity to respond to new challenges, for example novel disease outbreaks, beekeepers recognise training and upskilling as critical needs.
Trainees in Tocal's nationally recognised Cert III in Beekeeping. CREDIT:TOCAL COLLEGE WEBSITE
Objectives:
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Supporting beekeeper training to improve knowledge and resilience through better understanding of bee pests and diseases and the provision of new skills in pollination and queen bee breeding.
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Upskilling NSW beekeepers to increase efficiencies and enable them to operate sustainably.
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A beekeeping workforce able to recognise and respond to significant biosecurity threats and prevent major disease outbreaks that could cripple the industry.
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Establishing a more resilient industry through the retention of existing and recruitment of new beekeepers.
Activities:
The project will be coordinated and conducted by Tocal College in NSW. Tocal College, run by the NSW DPI, is the leading provider of specialised training to rural industries, including beekeeping.
Tocal College will develop 3-day block training for NSW commercial beekeepers focused on honey bee biosecurity, using bees for pollination, and queen bee breeding.
This training will be rolled out to beekeepers in four regions in NSW (Tocal, Yanco, Orange and Grafton) and will be undertaken during the first two years of this project. It is anticipated that 50-80 beekeepers will enrol in one or more of these courses, which will be 50% subsidised by this project.
Measurable Outputs:
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Beekeepers accredited for advanced beekeeping skills
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Improved pollination and queen breeding services in NSW
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Better biosecurity across the apiary sector
This project will provide beekeepers with the knowledge and skills that are critical to the sustainability, security and productivity of the NSW Apiary Industry. It will help to safeguard the industry by equipping the workforce with the capacity to recognise and respond to disease outbreaks that could rapidly cripple beekeeping and pollination services. It will diversify beekeeper skills, improving income and growing and strengthening jobs.