Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney announced on Saturday the government would invest $750,000 into beekeeping over the next three years. 

Ms Courtney said a total of $500,00 of the funding would go toward infrastructure upgrades, while the remainder will be invested in developing the industry. 

Tasmanian Beekeepers Association president and Australian Honeybee Industry Council chairman Lindsay Bourke said human activity had been helped destroy leatherwood crops.

Mr Bourke said the government funding should be used to clear land in order to make inaccessible leatherwood forests available to beekeepers.

Leatherwood honey makes up 90 per cent of the total amount of Tasmanian honey produced every year. 

“We need to clear land to gain access to more leatherwood or plant more leatherwood crops,” he said.

“But, planting more crops is really just a gimmicky option and you’d have to plant a hell of a lot for it to work.”

The beekeeping industry also needs to consult with companies to ensure that leatherwood crops remain untouched, according to Mr Bourke.

Tasmanian honey production was at 65 per cent of its normal level, partly due to leatherwood deforestation. 

“You can’t get one more hive out of the current leatherwood we have access too – we’re full,” Mr Bourke said.

Mr Bourke also noted the importance of increasing bee numbers for the rest of the agricultural sector to keep up with demand. 

He said the current number of bees in the state were not enough to pollinate crops if growth predictions are to be believed. 

“Agricultural production in Tasmania is going to double in the near future and we need a lot more bees to keep up with demand,” he said.

“The economy relies on pollination.”