In recent times a new type of honey fraud has emerged, which involves systematic ‘drying’ of high-moisture honey – or perhaps more accurately, nectar – and recently the Internation Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations (Apimondia) took aim at it with release of the Apimondia Statement on Immature Honey Production. With honey moisture reduction common practice among the New Zealand honey industry, some of the statement’s wording risks tarnishing methods designed to improve ho

Overloading of bank debt and a collapsed share price opened the door for Florenz Ltd to plot a takeover of Comvita Ltd for NZc80 per share or NZD56.4m. Both Comvita and Grant Samuel, the adviser it appointed, have warned that shareholder rejection of the offer could result in receivership of the mānuka honey industry’s flagship company. Bruce Roscoe weighs Comvita’s legacy of debt and critiques the adviser’s report to shareholders.

Attempts between current groups Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) and New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI) to form a draft structure of a new national level industry body for beekeepers continued through October, but as the calendar turned to November each has identified sticking points which are slowing progress

Last month biosecurity found and removed three yellow-legged hornet queens in Auckland, following on from the discovery of two male hornets in different suburbs of the city in June and July. The presence of both male and female of the species is a “considerable concern” says invasive species expert Prof. Phil Lester.

The biggest food trade show in the most populous country on earth, World Food India, proved an eye-opening experience for the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA) in September. Marketing manager Campbell Naish reports on what we know about a potentially huge honey market and why – at least to this point – it has gone largely untapped by Kiwi honey producers.

This year marks John Berry’s 60th as a beekeeper and, knowing there is still plenty for him to learn, for the first time the Hawke’s Bay lad headed off to the World Beekeeping Congress that is ‘Apimondia’.

Among several New Zealand labs’ suite of honey tests are those designed to detect heavy metals. Hill Labs scientists Kyle Snare and Sukhjeet Singh explain how the heavy metals make it into the sweet stuff and why the testing is needed.

With a recent hornet incursion in Auckland, biosecurity is the topic-du-jour within apiculture and so Colony Loss Survey author Pike Stahlmann-Brown explains what last year’s survey results indicated about beekeepers’ preparedness.

By now we are aware that tiny plastic particles are all around us and, as humans, can’t help but ingest them. It’s the same in the animal kingdom and for the humble honey bee. Science writer Dave Black examines what that means for their health, and ours, and the food we both consume.