Australia faces the loss of crops worth almost $3 billion a year if it does not urgently increase investment in bee research, its top science agency has told a federal inquiry.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation says Australia’s agriculture research agencies are providing minimal support and its honey industry is too small to fund a national bee research programme.
In a submission to a Senate inquiry into the future of Australia’s apiary industries, the CSIRO warns that if the bee parasite Varroa enters Australia, it could wipe out crop pollinating bees within 10 years.
This article on Research Professional News is only available to Research Professional or Pivot-RP users.
Research Professional users can log in and view the article via this link
Pivot-RP users can log in and view the article via this link.