Offering ideas on how the apiculture industry might improve its appeal to potential funders, on August 28 Ian Fletcher called on his experience and expertise in high-level government departments to present to the 6th New Zealand Honey Bee Research Symposium in Wellington on the topic of ‘Research partnerships in a dynamic and political environment’. He extends his thinking here.

The Swedish cloth strips continue to impress us the more we trial them, and from the feedback received from many clients...

Did you know that among the kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty this year will be beehives holding BeeHero sensors? What on the surface may seem like hive-auditing assistance, with the potential to gain beekeepers better pay for their services, could prove to be just the opposite – a company that plays the role of hive broker and removes beekeeping expertise entirely, leaving existing hive owners further impoverished.

Importers in the United States, New Zealand’s largest market for honey, from 7 August will be required to pay import duty of 15% on the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value of the cargo, up from the 10% duty imposed on 2 April, according to a 1 August US tariff policy announcement.

In a day of competing ideas and ideals as to the future of beekeeping industry representation, Apiculture New Zealand’s members voted to keep their industry-good body alive at their AGM on July 17 in Christchurch. The decision to defeat a resolution to dissolve was bookended by open format discussions among an in-person and online audience of a little over 100, conversations which will now act as the first step on a new journey of consultation with beekeepers on how best to r

A mood of optimism purveyed at Mānuka Orchard’s Open Day on July 25, as more than 150 beekeepers, suppliers, scientists and assorted industry stakeholders made their way to Paengaroa in the Bay of Plenty to talk honey, pollination and bee health.

As the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) seeks to grow the value of their well-established UMF™ brand, two new board members will soon be helping provide direction, following a July 16 AGM in Hamilton and online.

Me Today Ltd, a dietary supplements brand company, on 28 July announced it had appointed receivers and liquidators to its beleaguered, wholly owned subsidiary King Honey Ltd. Me Today, which is listed on NZX, acquired King Honey for NZD36.0m in June 2021.

Citing a need for greater collaboration and coordination among honey researchers, Dr Meghan Grainger of University of Waikato has relaunched the Honey Research Unit (HRU) founded by the late Dr Peter Molan at the institute.

Although the definition of kānuka honey may still be up for debate, Sri Govindaraju and Sunil Pinnamaneni of The Experiment Company (TEC) firmly agree on one thing: robust scientific testing and clear, transparent labelling are essential to adding lasting value to the industry. The husband-and-wife team has spent the past five years juggling continents, raising children, and investing their personal savings into developing a one-of-a-kind testing machine and launching a dedic

Listening to everybody’s comments, ideas and opinions at the recent Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) AGM and Industry Forum in Christchurch, my assessment was that industry unity in one way or another was hoped for by most and that we should get our act together pronto.

When you have been involved in beekeeping for as long as I have, you’re bound to have seen a few disasters and learned from a few mistakes. You wouldn’t think there was much left for me to learn, but the other day I had my nose rubbed firmly in all of the above…