Murky Results Delivered by Beekeepers on Matter of Widening NZBB’s Role

Levies for American foulbrood are set to remain the same into the 2026/27 season, following consultation with beekeepers. But should the agency, New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity (NZBB), be advancing plans to extend their remit beyond AFB into wider bee health and biosecurity as their name suggests? Results on that question were murky and the path forward now similar, right as the country contends with a crucial beekeeping-related biosecurity incursion.

Despite 7445 beekeepers being contacted by email and another 833 by post, only 147 responded, with even less, 115, of them going so far as completing all three questions pertaining to the country’s biosecurity preparedness and NZBB’s role in that. A strong desire to maintain the current AFB annual levy rates of $1.95+gst per colony along with a beekeeper base rate of $40 resulted, whereas the results were split almost down the middle on an NZBB role expansion – 40% agreeing and 42% effectively saying “stick to AFB”.

The response rate to NZBB’s consultation on potentially expanding their role was just 1.4%. 

“We would have liked to hear from more beekeepers,” NZBB chief executive Niha Long says.

“At the end of the day we will do what the industry wants us to do. We have been saying for a long time that something needs to be done and everything we have said has proved to be true and correct in the current hornet incursion.”

To pursue a wider biosecurity mandate, more fitting with the name the former AFB Management Agency took on when it was reconstituted as a Trust last year, approval would need to be given by the Minister for Biosecurity, Andrew Hoggard, and have the industry’s backing. The matter and how it might be progressed now sits with the minister, Long says.

Only 147 beekeepers responded to NZ Bee Health and Biosecurity’s latest round of consultation on levy rates and budget, of which the vast majority owned less than six hives.

“We have been clear to the minister that we got a really low response rate, but telling generally what we found,” Long explains, adding they are “considering other funding options”.

The biosecurity consultation was included with the annual levy-rate and budget check-in with beekeepers in September and October. While the 1.9% response rate is paltry, it exceeded the level of response in any of the past five years. Only 20 beekeepers with 251 or more registered beehives replied.

What was clear in the results was that almost all beekeepers, no matter their hive-holding, rated New Zealand’s level of biosecurity preparedness for beekeeping-related matters as ‘low’, or ‘very low’ and generally insufficient. Despite this, NZBB was not seen as providing the vehicle for better preparedness by many, with government and AsureQuality listed as better bets by some.

The government was also identified as a potential source of increased biosecurity funding, along with ‘industries which benefit from pollination’. Outside of the AFB levy, beekeepers are not compelled to commit any funds to biosecurity preparedness.

“Realistically an industry does need to come up with some money to help prepare for all of the risks coming at them,” Long says.

As it stands, with registered hive numbers reducing year-on-year, NZBB is operating with a shrinking budget as levy rates remain stagnant.

“We have to work with what we have got and that means trimming the fat anywhere we can find it,” Long says.