one door closes another opens

[tristan]

unfortunately like many many others, we got made redundant. work has succumbed to the nz beekeeping implosion. all staff are gone and boss is selling up the businesses.
i think a lot of the bees have a buyer lined up. at least we didn't skimp on the beekeeping and force ourselves out like so many others have done. so the bees are generally in good condition.

so after some ~24 years of commercial beekeeping i'm now a hobbyist and i've gone from a hobby welder to a pro welding working for a local firm.
what was my profession is now a hobby and what was my hobby is now my day job.


dad checking the slap of the first shed.


final days.



and yes @yesbut, ironically i'm now making trailers.

 

[Alastair]

Sorry to hear it Tristan, but at least you have found employment in a field you are good at, and likely better paid than is beekeeping these days!

Also sounds like you guys have done better than many, retaining the bees in good shape and seemingly selling well, unlike many who just ran right out of money, had mental anguish and sometimes breakdowns, and abandoned their hives.

I think it is inevitable that this process of attrition will continue, until the honey mountain sitting in peoples sheds is gone, and whatever level of bees and beekeepers is left to be able to sell to a market that is not flooded. Unfortunately at my age, I may not still be around when that eventually comes to pass.

It was great meeting you in person a few years back, I'm glad you are still in bees as a hobby, and hoping we can continue to talk bees from time to time .

 

[southbee]

Very sorry to hear that, you have made reading this forum so much more interesting and I would miss your posts if you were to stop them!! I'm glad you have managed to turn things around from your hobby to a job and still have bees as well. Best of luck with the trailer making, my son is a welder too and it has been very handy at times for the bee business.

 

[Breeder of queens Koss]

Tristan, it's a pity that professionals like you are leaving the industry. I wish you success and good luck in your new job.

 

[Gino de Graaf]

Hi Tristan.
Sad news. You've been a regular here. Willing to share.
And plenty of trailer discussions... Now making them! I bet they're good.
Amazing really. I mean the business you worked in seemed to be going well.
What's weird, manuka export value increasing but manuka producers declining.
All the best.

 

[tristan]

What's weird, manuka export value increasing but manuka producers declining.

yeah, worlds largest amount of income from export honey and we are going broke doing it. figure that one out. a lot of little costs increase but no way to pass those costs on. many companies have got rid of the bees but have kept the packing/export side of things. there is still money to be made selling honey.
the scary thing is i hear there is bigger companies closing down as well, as well as many small guys up for sale.
NZBI talking about attracting the new beekeepers, well there's nothing attractive about an industry thats sinking. many beeks have retired, with many more each year with no replacements in the pipeline. if the slide keeps continuing to long, it may get to a point of not being recoverable.

one of the other problems we have is pollination is undervalued and under paid. the only one afaik paying decent is kiwifruit. others are simply costing beekeeping to much money. if orchards etc start having to own/run their own hives and consequently pay the true cost of pollination, we may see that turn around.

 

[Alastair]

What's weird, manuka export value increasing but manuka producers declining.

Oh I didn't know that.

If that's the case, somebody must be making money, who is it?

Even Comvita who you would think would be well placed, are slowly going down the gurgler and don't seem to be able to do anything about it.