Fresh buzz in sector

That's the view of ApicultureNZ chief executive Karin Kos in the wake of the organisation's recent annual conference, held in Rotorua and attended by 700 people.

Kos told Hort News that while it's been a tough season, the mood of the conference was actually quite good. She added that hearing news from exporters that overseas markets are starting to open up was positive for bee keepers.

But Kos concedes there is still a hangover from the past bad seasons and there is a need to sell some of the honey that remains stored and unsold around the country. But she adds that some sales are starting to happen, especially in the South Island.

"No doubt it's tough, but there was a sense that actually coming together at the conference is really important," she explains.

"There is a lot happening in our industry and we need to be across that. For example, looking at the hive numbers in 2019 there were close to one million hives, now it is 620,000.

"So, the industry has adjusted and we are hoping that it won't have to adjust too much more." 

Kos believes that many of the people who have dropped out of the industry were the smaller operators and - in some cases - new entrants to the industry. But she says with this adjustment has come the good news that the United States is becoming a really important market for Manuka Honey and that the Chinese market is also starting to open up.

EU/NZ FTA Signing Welcomed

Kos says signing of the EU free trade agreement takes the sector one step closer to the removal of tariffs on all NZ honey exported into the European Union.

Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos.

She says the EU is an important market for NZ's honey exporters and we have a long history of exporting high-quality honey products there. Kos says the removal of the current in-quota tariff rate of 17.3%, when the agreement comes into force, will make a huge difference to honey exports to the EU - which ar worth about $60 million.

She says the sector is thrilled that the agreement also includes the definition of mānuka and a separate tariff recognising the inherent distinctiveness of mānuka as a taonga species exclusively from New Zealand.

"The EU's recognition of mānuka as a taonga species is significant in helping progress the next step in securing geographical indications for mānuka honey, an initiative that is strongly supported by both industry and iwi," she adds.

But Kos says while all this gives the sector a bit of optimism, it has to be grounded on the fact that the last three years have been pretty tough.