NZBI Convene Industry Roundtable Meeting

With matters of apiculture industry representation up in the air, New Zealand Beekeeping Incorporated (NZBI) are moving to gather key industry personal in Wellington on April 10 to determine a roadmap to beekeeper solidarity.

“This is a time to forget politics and look towards the future, to build a better future for our beekeepers,” NZBI president Jane Lorimer outlined in a widely circulated email to the beekeeping industry on March 24.

The following day Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) members voted to delay their group’s planned dissolution. Regardless, plans for the April 10 meeting are forging ahead Lorimer says.

“Whatever happens, we need open discussion on options for the future that are affordable for the industry,” Lorimer said following the ApiNZ meeting.

While the call to “forget politics” is easily made, it has proved harder to implement. There have been many disagreements between the two groups over the years and both hold worryingly small beekeeper membership in an industry that routinely generates over NZD400million in honey exports a year.

Board chair of the Management Agency American Foulbrood Pest Management Plan, Mark Dingle and national compliance manager Niha Long have both confirmed they plan to attended on April 10, as has Southern North Island Beekeeping Group president Frank Lindsay. Senior personal at the Ministry for Primary Industries have also been sought out, but, at this stage, are unlikely to attend the meeting chaired by NZBI advisor Ian Fletcher.

Participants from “existing active groups, both national and regional” are to be invited the NZBI email states.

ApiNZ had only very recently been invited and were still considering whether to attend when contacted.

“Once we have had this initial meeting, we shall then have a second meeting with interested parties to further discuss points from our initial meeting. We shall share our ideas at this meeting to ignite discussion. But as always, we want to hear others’ views too. A level of consensus around the issues is needed, and which has been lacking. That is our first goal,” Lorimer’s email states.