Beekeeping in Australia: Market Size, Businesses & Forecast 2026

The beekeeping industry in Australia involves the commercial raising of honey bees for the extraction of honey, beeswax, and other hive derivatives, alongside providing commercial agricultural pollination services. According to Bee Aware and AgriFutures data, the sector generated an official gross value of production (GVP) of 184.3 million AUD in the 2022-23 financial year, supported by a network of registered apiarists operating across diverse native ecosystems. While the market has maintained stable underlying demand for premium floral varieties, its trajectory is heavily influenced by biosecurity adjustments following the structural establishment of the Varroa destructor mite in late 2023

Industry snapshot

Key public data points

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What does the Beekeeping in Australia industry cover?

The industry comprises units primarily engaged in the commercial husbandry of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to harvest natural products and deliver biological services. Primary production outputs encompass raw or minimally processed honey, natural beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and queen bee breeding stock. A critical operational component is the provision of commercial crop pollination services to the broader horticultural and broad-acre agricultural sectors.

• •Primary economic outputs focus on native eucalypt and floral monofloral or multi-floral honey variants.
• •Excludes downstream secondary processing, such as manufacturing blended honey products or retail packaging when conducted by non-farming units.
• •Paid pollination contracts serve as an essential service component, with some horticultural crops like almonds relying entirely on managed honey bee populations.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The Australian beekeeping structure is highly bifurcated, containing a massive registry of hobbyist and amateur apiarists alongside a consolidated footprint of large commercial entities. According to government records compiled by Bee Aware, there were over 47,900 registered beekeepers managing approximately 855,300 hives as of November 2022. While commercial operators with more than 50 hives represent only 4 percent of the total beekeeper registry, they control the vast majority of active hives and account for more than 80 percent of total commercial honey production and paid pollination output.

• •New South Wales represents the largest state jurisdiction, accounting for 15,653 beekeepers and 46.1% of national hives (394,112 hives) in late 2022.
• •Commercial operations are predominantly nomadic, with operators transporting hives up to 20 times a year to chase seasonal native floral blooms.
• •Average commercial enterprises maintain between 400 and 800 active hives, though exceptional industrial-scale operators manage up to 10,000 hives.

What drives demand in the industry?

Demand for Australian apiary products is sustained by domestic food consumption, industrial processing requirements, and healthy international export channels. On the service side, the exponential growth of high-value agricultural sectors, most notably the Australian almond industry, acts as a primary driver for paid pollination logistics. Furthermore, international markets heavily demand premium, chemically clean, and bioactive Australian honeys due to verified antimicrobial properties.

• •Unrecognized broader economic contributions of honey bee pollination to Australian agriculture are valued between 4 billion and 6 billion AUD annually.
• •National export revenues for honey reached 64.4 million AUD in the 2021-22 period, according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
• •The United States has emerged as a major international destination by value, capturing roughly 58% of NSW specific honey exports in 2021-22.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The competitive environment features thousands of localized primary producers who supply bulk honey to major processors, alongside dedicated apiary services firms handling regional agricultural contracts. Large corporate entities oversee nationwide aggregation, processing, and distribution pipelines. Key participants span across specialized agricultural investment vehicles, member-owned co-operatives, and major commercial bee management firms.

• •Capilano Honey (operated under Hive + Wellness Australia Pty Ltd) remains a dominant institutional aggregator and retail brand across the domestic market.
• •Bee Innovative operates actively within the sector, deploying advanced data tracking and radar technology for commercial hive pollination optimization.
• •Duxton Bees (part of the broader Duxton asset management framework) operates as a significant commercial provider of managed hives for industrial orchard pollination.
• •Tasmanian Pollination Services represents a notable regional operator specialized in delivering contract pollination services to Tasmanian seed and fruit growers.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry is navigating severe operational friction caused by localized pest incursions and shifting environmental baselines. The formal establishment of the parasitic Varroa destructor mite in eastern Australia has triggered national transitions toward long-term biosecurity management, altering historical yield expectations. National surveys are now tracking colony health to establish clear baselines for hive survival rates under modern biological pressures.

• •The AgriFutures National Colony Loss Survey documented a rise in national annual colony losses from 6.8% in 2023-24 to 10.5% in 2024-25.
• •Western Australia maintains a distinct geographical advantage by remaining entirely Varroa-free, driving premium pricing for its endemic Jarrah and Marri honey stocks.
• •Total commercial honey yields fluctuate between 20,000 and 30,000 tonnes annually, dictated heavily by climate cycles, bushfire recovery, and eucalypt flowering patterns.

How is the industry regulated?

Beekeeping operations are regulated through a combination of state-level apiary registrations and federal biosecurity frameworks designed to protect agricultural biosecurity. All commercial operators are bound by statutory contribution systems that fund national industry research, development, and containment plans. Compliance focuses strictly on hive inspection protocols, disease notification duties, and chemical residue mitigation.

• •The sector operates under the ANZSIC Class 0193 (Beekeeping) designation for primary production activities, excluding separate retail manufacturing.
• •A statutory honey levy of 5.6 cents per kilogram is enforced on businesses producing over 1,500 kg annually, with 1.5 cents directed to AgriFutures Australia.
• •The National Bee Biosecurity Program enforces the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice, requiring comprehensive hive inspections at least twice a year.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Bee Aware Industry Statistics 2022 ·
• AgriFutures Australia Honey Bee & Pollination Program 2023-2024 ·
• AgriFutures Australian Honey Bee & Pollination Industry National Colony Loss Survey 2025 ·
• NSW Department of Primary Industries Honey and Beeswax Report 2021-22 ·
• Australian Bureau of Statistics ANZSIC 2006 (Revision 1.0)