KUITPO Forest is set to welcome new residents - hundreds of thousands of bees - as the reserve opens to beekeeping for the first time in an effort to help SA's apiary industry.
During the initial phase of the pilot program, the Apiary Taskforce - which was established by the state government to source beekeeping sites on public land - has identified three sites within the forest each able to house up to 120 hives with up to 60,000 bees in each hive.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone said beekeepers would be able to access approved areas of ForestrySA-owned land within Kuitpo Forest when the bees are not pollinating horticultural crops such as almonds, apples and cherries.
"Bee pollination is a vital part of keeping our horticultural and agricultural industries strong, with the average economic value of honeybees as pollinators in SA worth about $1.7 billion," he said.
"The demand for honeybee pollination continues to grow and it is projected the SA almond industry alone will require an additional 20,000 hives by 2021.
"The only way to meet the 30 per cent increase in demand is to provide beekeepers greater access for hives and bees on public land."
Apiary Alliance SA chair Danny Le Feuvre said opening up opportunities in Kuitpo Forest would help support a stronger beekeeping industry.
"As an industry we've been working for years to get greater access to public lands to ensure our bee industry remains vibrant, particularly with more than 2000 hives lost during the recent devastating bushfires," he said.
"We welcome the pilot project in Kuitpo Forest as a step forward in driving change and meeting increasing demand for the betterment of the apiary industry in SA."
Beekeepers interested in establishing hives on the sites are invited to register to take part in the pilot.
They can register their interest in the pilot program until Thursday, April 23.
- Details: pir.sa.gov.au/apiarypilot
