Despite the huge distance separating New Zealand and Denmark, at least 20 New Zealanders made their way to the biennial, global beekeeping showcase that is Apimondia, September 24-27. They report a “fabulous”, “overwhelming” and “very, very good” event that will “blow your mind”, but return with warnings for honey producers and suggest that New Zealand needs to have an even stronger showing in future.

There is no guarantee of a solution to keep all parties happy, but leading industry groups Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) and New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI) have put in writing a timeline to collaborate in an attempt to deliver an improved beekeeping industry body.

Shareholder value represents the net asset value of a company. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Comvita erased NZD183.6m of that value. Bruce Roscoe explains Comvita’s application of the accounting standard that caused most of the destruction. He also questions the method used to revalue assets.

The latest in industry group New Zealand Beekeeping Inc’s (NZBI) ‘roundtable’ meetings was held online on September 17 in an attempt to progress beekeeper thinking towards a more enticing national group to represent their interests. While a “strawman” constitution was presented, the video-call proved more an insight into the limitations that for years have driven beekeepers from taking up membership in any industry body en mass.

The newly named and independently governed New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity (NZBB) Trust has taken its next tentative step towards an expanded remit, asking beekeepers to weigh in on whether the former American Foulbrood (AFB) Management Agency should take on a greater responsibility regarding ‘general honey bee health and disease management’, including biosecurity preparedness.

This is a companion article to Comvita, UMFHA & the Australian Question which appeared in our September edition. Here, Bruce Roscoe finds similarities as stark as differences in the Australian and New Zealand honey industries. Though at times portrayed as hostile, Australia represents an indispensable market, ranking as New Zealand’s fourth-largest customer for honey (all types) and largest by far buyer of retail pack non-manuka honey.

As the group tasked with protecting mānuka honey from offshore exploitation continues its work, a Mānuka Charitable Trust Symposium to reaffirm their position was held on September 26.

Miss Bumby’s Mission is a work of historical fiction, told first-person perspective by the eponymous character. Mary Anna Bumby (1811–1862), was a Yorkshire woman who accompanied her brother John Bumby to New Zealand. Mr Bumby was one of the early Wesleyan missionaries to the Māori, arriving in 1839 and settling in the Hokianga region of Northland.

Many people have been asking Ian Fletcher about Gaza. So, this is an effort to look through the fog of war and misinformation, and see the shape of what’s going on.