The Honey Industry Trust (HIT) is set to come to the rescue of Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) – for the short-term at least – with a...

On June 27 the Minister for Biosecurity, Andrew Hoggard, dropped a bombshell announcement – the sole compulsory levy funded aspect of the beekeeping industry, the American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan (AFB PMP) would be under new governance, in the form of a Charitable Trust led by existing board members. The news has been met with anger from some beekeepers decrying an “abhorrent lack of transparency” and “despicable conduct”. Despite this, tentative steps towards an impro

Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) – caught in limbo over a Board proposal to disestablish – is calling an “open session on how we can regenerate industry leadership and determine how that is organised” to bookend their Annual General Meeting in July, thus forecasting the Christchurch meeting as a crucial juncture in the history of an organisation with roots dating back 112 years.

At the time Australia’s largest manuka honey producer, Hive & Wellness Australia Pty Ltd, launched an attack on New Zealand manuka honey – as detailed in Capilano Trash Talks New Zealand Manuka – the company was marketing three manuka honey products as “UMF certified”. It still does.

While Christchurch will play host to beekeepers over two days, centred around the Apiculture New Zealand AGM on July 17, a week prior and a week later two North Island open days are set to provide highly informative and social, as well as free, get togethers for all beekeepers.

Both the publicly listed Comvita Ltd., and privately owned Mānuka Health, will soon have new CEOs in place, while Comvita’s chief financial officer (CFO) has also handed in his notice. Both companies are putting on a brave face as they make the announcements, but Comvita’s share price has plunged to new lows.

Despite 107 years of family-involvement in the beekeeping industry, up until business sale and retirement in 2024, Murray Bush has been removed from industry governance roles and even industry-body membership in recent years. Therefore, standing on the middle-ground of “The Great Unwashed”, the Marlborough apiarist offers his opinion on the considerations and compromises needed to move forth greater industry representation.

A New Zealand university has played a critical role in a cutting-edge new varroa treatment which recently took one giant step closer to being fully approved for beekeeper use in the USA.

These words don’t come easy… after three weeks of attending Australian State beekeeping conferences, I am in admiration of the maturity and leadership demonstrated by a group of influential commercial Australian beekeepers on the management of varroa.

New Zealand beekeepers are fond of stating that there is more to their honeys than “just mānuka”, and now a new place on the world stage exists to prove it.

With beekeepers up and down the country feeling the pinch of rising costs and honey prices well below recent highs, veteran beekeeper John Berry has some practical advice beekeeping when the chips are down.

Seeking an excuse to get out of the house, retired beekeeper Dave Black ventured to New Zealand Beekeeping Inc’s (NZBI) Paengaroa event on June 6, with the occasion stirring him to make some astute observations on beekeeper representation both locally and nationally.