Local food manufacturers are starting to feel the heat after recent abnormal weather conditions have resulted in supply shortages of honey and other products.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) recently warned companies that 2014 looked set to deliver the lowest national honey yields in at least a decade, with honey supplies falling by over 50 per cent due to a combination of excessive heat, flood and drought.
Nestle says it is among the companies already feeling the effects. “The warmer weather has certainly had an impact on the supply of honey in Australia, not just for us, but for a number of food manufacturers,” says Anita Catalano, Nestle media relations manager.
“This has made it challenging for us to source enough honey locally to meet our requirements. We are hoping the situation will improve, but saying that, we are currently looking at alternative sourcing options.”
A shortage of honey could potentially rock the industry in the short term, according to the AHBIC's executive director, Trevor Weatherhead.
“It is a dire time for the honey industry with both apiarists and honey packers bracing themselves for the next 12 months,” Weatherhead said.
He said honey producers would cut back on exports to help ensure the domestic supply, but he said prices may rise and called on manufacturers to continue to buy as normal from local sources.
“Conditions will once again return to normal, but like any agriculturally based business, during this period there will be a number of hardships that will have to be endured,” he said.
“Over the next 12 months we can greatly assist our Australian bee keepers and honey producers by continuing to buy honey as you would normally.”
Honey is not the only industry to feel the heat. January’s heat wave has also resulted in a significant decline in the number of eggs being produced.
Chickens can lose weight during hot weather, resulting in fewer eggs being laid, and smaller eggs.
Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president Meg Parkinson recently said a reduction of up to 15 per cent was fairly normal over a hot summer, but the recent heatwave could result in even greater reduction.
Australian honey exporters will benefit from new digital reforms that streamline the export certification process to Great Britain and the European Union.
