News from the Chair
1 March 2022Up-to-date information from the AHBIC Chairman
- As I write this unfortunately northern New South Wales is again being flooded. Hopefully there are no more hives lost this time. One of the articles can be seen at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-16/floods-destroy-nsw-beehives-devastating-industry/100910904
Both the Queensland Beekeepers Association and New South Wales Apiarists Association have been providing their members with information on help that is available. This is the time when membership of your State association will help you. - The Executive have employed an agency to start the recruitment process for a new CEO. Also the AHBIC Council has met and decided to put a review in place to look at AHBIC.
- The Brotherhood of Ukrainian Beekeepers wrote to AHBIC, as a member body of Apimondia, and asked us to write to Apimondia requesting that the Apimondia meeting scheduled for Russia later this year be cancelled and that we ask for the Russian National Union of Beekeepers to be excluded from Apimondia.
AHBIC wrote to the President, Jeff Pettis, asking that the Apimondia scheduled for Russia this year be cancelled and that the Russian National Union of Beekeepers be suspended from Apimondia. You will see in this newsletter the response from Apimondia to our letter and representations made by many other beekeeping groups around the world. - Rod Turner has been a part of Plant Health Australia (PHA) for as long as I can remember. Rod has been involved with us on many projects over the years. Rod is now taking leave and at the end of that leave is retiring. We wish Rod all the best for his retirement and thank him for his contributions over the years.
- The planning is now in full swing for this year’s 4th Australian Bee Congress in Sydney from 8-11 June. The website is continually being updated with more information so check often. I hope you have registered. Remember that the earlybird registration closes on 22 April.
- Today is the last day to nominate for the Australian Beekeeper Award. Hopefully you have considered this and put in a nomination. See https://honeybee.org.au/shining-the-spotlight-on-australias-beekeepers/
- Our acting CEO Danny and I took part in a productive hook-up with the Agricultural Policy Division of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). There were several areas identified where industry needs some input and AHBIC is to supply details to DAWE.