March 2026
As we leave late summer and journey into early autumn, it is encouraging to report that the 2025–26 Victorian honey season is shaping up as a significantly stronger one than last year. It is also promising that large areas of Victoria, and our friends in South Australia who have had three years of prolonged severe drought, are facing the prospect of significant rainfall to mark the end of summer.
Many migratory beekeepers have been able to return to central Victoria to take advantage of late summer ironbark flows, providing the opportunity not only to secure additional honey but also to extract their red gum and black box honey crop and integrate treatment programs efficiently.
The focus now shifts toward disciplined pre-winter preparation, migrating towards higher-yielding pollen sources, strengthening colony nutrition and colony strength, and completing any final queen rearing before the requeening window closes.
Of course, we already have one eye on what lies beyond winter. For many Victorian beekeepers, that is almond pollination. Early indications suggest improvement in returns for pollination services, which is welcome news after a challenging period where input costs and treatment programs have significantly reshaped business margins.
We are beekeepers. We work with the seasons, not against them.
VAA Resources Subcommittee, now in place
- Andrew McCallum – Chair & Northeast Representative
- Keely McDonald – Secretary
- Neil Barraclough – Gippsland Representative
- Paul Davies – Port Phillip Representative
- Andrew Devlin – Northwest Representative
- Daryll Hobbs – West Representative
- Matt Lorenz – Central Representative
I recently met with Andrew and Keely to confirm priorities and establish their meeting schedule for the year ahead. One of their initial priorities will be to engage with our affiliate associations to confirm their resources representatives, as well as to help shape our opening symposium at this year‘s conference, appropriately titled the ―Resources Summit.‖
The primary focus of the Resources Subcommittee remains clear: to preserve and strengthen the Apiculture on Public Lands Policy. This policy has served both Victorian beekeepers and the broader community extremely well and remains fundamental to the sustainability of our industry.
Since early 2025, the VAA has increased engagement with government decision-makers to advocate for:
- Maximising coexistence and minimising conflict between apiculture and other public land uses
- Ensuring an efficient, fair, transparent, and properly resourced administration system for bee sites
- Supporting strategies that improve the health of Victorian bushland and eucalypt forests
- Establishing a shared strategic roadmap between government and industry with genuine joint stewardship
During our recent VAA strategic planning discussions, it is no surprise that access to resources and public land sites emerged as the number one strategic priority for the Association. This work is not optional. It is foundational.
Members are encouraged to contact the Resources Subcommittee via their dedicated email:
resources@vicbeekeepers.com.au
VAA Annual Conference & AGM
It is hard to believe we are now just three months away from the 2026 VAA Annual Conference and AGM at the Novotel Melbourne Airport.
This year‘s program reflects the reality of modern apiculture. Our challenges are local, but the knowledge shaping solutions is global. As announced in my February report, we are particularly pleased to welcome three internationally recognised experts to Melbourne:
- Dr Peter Neumann – Professor at the University of Bern, Director of the Institute of Bee Health, and Chair of COLOSS, the international association working across more than 120 countries to improve bee health. His work on honeybee pathogens and global biosecurity systems continues to shape international best practice.
- Dr Stephen Martin – Chair in Social Entomology at the University of Salford and globally recognised for his pioneering research into varroa mites and their association with viruses, particularly Deformed Wing Virus. His work has significantly advanced global understanding of resistance to Varroa.
- Dr Cooper Schouten – Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Southern Cross University Bee Research and Extension Lab and internationally recognised for his leadership in honeybee biosecurity and invasive mite preparedness. His work spans varroa and Tropilaelaps integrated pest management, nutrition, queen breeding and sustainable agribusiness systems.
Bringing this level of expertise together in one place provides Victorian beekeepers with direct access to global insight, centrally located in our home state and a short walk from ―T4‖ at Tullamarine Airport for those flying in. For three days in June, Melbourne will host conversations that are shaping beekeeping not only here, but around the world.
Registrations are now open via the VAA website. Last year‘s conference sold out, and we encourage members to secure their place early, as we anticipate a sellout this year.
VAA Education Programs
By the time this issue is published, we will have delivered our VAA Advanced Varroa Workshop for Commercial Beekeepers in Swanpool, funded through the AgVic Livestock Biosecurity Education Grant. Registrations have been strong, reflecting the industry‘s clear appetite for practical, industry-led learning.
In May, we will deliver the VAA Advanced Varroa Specialist Workshop for club biosecurity officers at the Victorian Croquet Centre in Cairnlea. This program builds on our collaboration with the October 2025 T2M training and ensures that every regional club has access to up-to-date knowledge on varroa management.
Commercial Beekeeping Projects
Two important initiatives will roll out in the coming months:
Farm & Apiary Business Resilience
The Farm & Apiary Business Resilience Program, developed in partnership with AgVic, is being re-launched to improve accessibility and reach more commercial beekeepers. The program focuses on strengthening economic, environmental, and social resilience, three pillars that underpin sustainable commercial operations.
We are finalising workshop delivery partnerships with regional groups to ensure statewide access.
Peer-to-Peer Support Program
Agriculture carries unique pressures, and commercial beekeeping presents its own distinct challenges, including biosecurity, environmental volatility, and financial stress.
With AgVic support, the VAA is establishing a Peer-to-Peer Support Program that will train commercial beekeepers to provide frontline support to others experiencing stress. This initiative is about practical compassion, equipping trusted peers to listen, recognise warning signs, and connect people with appropriate professional resources when needed.
Resilience is not just about bees. It is about the people who care for them.
The strength of this Association lies in its members.
Strong seasons are built in preparation. Strong industries are built in cooperation. I look forward to seeing you in June.
One Home, One Voice, One Guardian.
Kind regards,
Lindsay Callaway,
President,
Victorian Apiarists’ Association Inc.