BY DAKOTA TAIT
More than 80,000 beehives have been moved to the State's south-west to pollinate almonds, despite the looming threat of varroa mite in the Hunter.
The State Government is confident it has a handle on the situation with surveillance yet to detect the deadly pest in Griffith.
Keepers outside of the emergency zones can move their bees, as long as they have a permit and are alcohol washing their hives.
Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders says they're still looking into the origin of the outbreak.
"There's no definitive word on exactly where the varroa mite came from or how it got into Australia," he said. "Obviously we've picked it up in sentinel hives which are near the Port [of Newcastle]."
"There's also a bit of a theory around some of the other areas close by to the Newcastle port, and whether it got in there. During COVID, there have been a lot of ships docked off areas."
Earlier this week, the Department of Primary Industries announced it had euthanised all 99 infected hives across the Hunter and other affected regions.
It's hoped the successful movement of bee populations is a sign the outbreak has been contained.
The hives are likely to move on to cherry, melon, citrus, and other fruit plantations in coming weeks.
Mr Saunders says it's important to get the industry back on track.
"One of out three mouthfuls of food we consume is due to the fact that we've got bees doing the work they do," he said.
"People have been talking a lot about flooding causing increased prices of lettuce and things like that. Well, if you're not getting the food that you're used to getting because pollination's not occurring, guess what's going to happen? Supermarket prices and green grocer prices are going up across the board."
"Beekeepers like these guys know their hives intimately. They know if something's changing and we need them to continue be that frontline defence against any disease coming in."
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| Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders and Almond Board of Australia CEO Tim Jackson. |
