Why is non profitability or profitability always the result of the price and never cost? I only ever hear that the price is to low. I never hear that the industry needs to be more efficient, increase yields, increase kg per man hour.
Hmmm ... I hear you SSP ...... ther is no doubt that efficient opeators can weather the storm.
We run 1400 hives, Main man and me with another casual hand on for honey harvest.
We extract our own honey .
It's a big job.
Because I don't get paid, I do all the overtime when it comes to shifting bees and druming off and melting wax on the weekends.
We budget on 30kg's a hive ...... at $4.00/kg we cover our costs, but I don't draw a wage.
We did good this year, probably averaged 50kg /hive.
At $4.00/kg I probably made $15/hr.
I think that is below the minimum wage and I'm wondering when the missus is gonna to be hauled up before the courts on account of flaunting the laws re the minimum wage, not to mention holiday pay, sick days, days of in lieu .... I don't think we'll even go there.
Yield and honey price is everything . A good operator can probably double the national average yield. Double the honey price and the operator might actually make a dollar to support his family in some sort of a lifestyle ...... food on the table perhaps.
Honey price is evrything, but it is something we have no control over.