When will beekeepers wake up

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Grant

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Nice table, but its open to our own interpretation of waking up without some form of comments as to the point you are making.
I'm going to assume you're wanting to bring in the OPEC business model here, double the beekeepers producing double the honey, creates half the price, so lets reduce output?
 
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Morporks

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Taken from the MPI report

The above chart shows last year we produced 27000 tonnes of honey. Exported 10000 tonnes leaving 17 000 tonnes to be sold on the local market (that wont happen)

I heard somewhere domestic consumption is about 3000 tonnes

Plus the previous years over production

We have a lot of years of honey production to sell before the industry will start making progress again
 

Alastair

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Hmm yes. I'd heard a rumour that the growth of the honey mountain was levelling off. Must have been fake news, looks like it's still growing at a rate of knots :oops:.

Other interesting thing was the low per hive production during the manuka boom times. Looks rather pathetic, but could be people sacrificing quantity, to get high value honey even at smaller amounts. Then last season production quantity per hive returned to pre boom type quantity.

Only good thing the number of hives has reduced. The reduction will have to be slow, because unlike other livestock you can't just ship them off to the works. But as old gear rots out and is not replaced, hive numbers will likely continue to reduce.
 

Alastair

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Well hobbyists do not contribute to the commercial honey surplus so not a worry. Or maybe some of them do, but they also promote honey among their circle of friends so me anyway, I don't see them as an issue.
 
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tommy dave

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The above chart shows last year we produced 27000 tonnes of honey. Exported 10000 tonnes leaving 17 000 tonnes to be sold on the local market (that wont happen)
Another really interesting thing is that the data confirms all the anecdotes.

Export volumes increased by about 25% (8k->10k tonnes) and export value increased by close to that, more like 20% (approx $350million ->420million). So the honey that is exported is generating close to the same dollar value per kilo year on year.

Similarly, the manuka bulk honey price range is similar year on year. While the light clover honey has plummeted. Suggests that the increase in export volumes is mostly manuka, and that aren't too many big new export contracts for non-manuka - if there were, this would decrease the average export value/return.

edit, i don't know if adam boot is on this new forum location, i would be interested in hearing his views on this.
 
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Aah .... you can fiddle numbers to suit your cause. We regularly do it with the Bank ....... Hobbyists are the bane of our lives ...... pushing us out of sites that we don't use one year because the conditions aren't right , or moving into the paddock next door and then not treating for varroa. Even a local commented that the hobbyist has a main source of income elsewhere and doesn't understand the dynamics of a migratory business and will bank roll a site for the feel good ..... sorry guys .....
I really don't trust the figures put out by MPI ..... maybe they are adding in True Honey co's $5000 pots in Harrods.

We put our bee operation up for sale a few months ago..... with the crop on. This year it would have been a bargain, but had no takers, so I guess confidence is still down in the pits ..... and I am still tempted to push them all into a hole, particularly when offered a six month drip feed for honey sold, with the first payment in six weeks, by which time all the bees will be dead for the lack of funds to purchase varroa treatment.
To give then their due, the purchasers have sharpened their pencil.
 
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Alastair

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particularly when offered a six month drip feed for honey sold, with the first payment in six weeks, by which time all the bees will be dead for the lack of funds to purchase varroa treatment.

Straight up, I'd recommend taking it. It's as good as many of us are getting and at least they are upfront about it. Any money is better than no money.

I really don't trust the figures put out by MPI ..... maybe they are adding in True Honey co's $5000 pots in Harrods.

Their figures are as good as what they are given. IE, garbage in, garbage out. I have to believe that there are more hives than declared. Because the incentive is to under declare, plus laziness can cause underdeclaring.
Hobbyists are the bane of our lives ...... pushing us out of sites that we don't use one year because the conditions aren't right , or moving into the paddock next door and then not treating for varroa. Even a local commented that the hobbyist has a main source of income elsewhere and doesn't understand the dynamics of a migratory business and will bank roll a site for the feel good ..... sorry guys .....

I'm surrounder by hundreds of hobbyists. If that presents any unique problems, you deal with it. Same as any other of the things we deal with. They don't cause me mite issues cos I treat effectively. AFB, well it's possible but you can get that from commercials as well, just like hobbyists can get it from commercials.
 
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Well hobbyists do not contribute to the commercial honey surplus so not a worry. Or maybe some of them do, but they also promote honey among their circle of friends so me anyway, I don't see them as an issue.
they do for me i hear it all time while trying to sell honey at markets, oh we dont need honey the neighbor has hives they give us all the honey we want.
i say well your lucky, i hope they are registered, some will say i dont know while others will say, didnt know they had too,
 
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Grant

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they do for me i hear it all time while trying to sell honey at markets,
I have someone at a local farmers market here who is supplied honey by a local beekeeper "friend", she then jars it and puts it up for sale with no labels or anything. Is the issue with the beekeeper or the seller?
 
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I have someone at a local farmers market here who is supplied honey by a local beekeeper "friend", she then jars it and puts it up for sale with no labels or anything. Is the issue with the beekeeper or the seller?
to sell it must have label, weight, product, where produced as well as nutritional info, should be reported,
 

kaihoka

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Tell that to the owner of the Otira Hotel. I have told him many times, even reported him to the consumers commission, nothing done about it.
I think the motel owners feel the same way about Air B&B .
Amateurs never have any compliance costs.
We are planning a trip down the coast in the next couple of weeks and we shall be staying at motels and anything other than Air B&B .
 
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yesbut

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I think the motel owners feel the same way about Air B&B .
Amateurs never have any compliance costs.
We are planning a trip down the coast in the next couple of weeks and we shall be staying at motels and anything other than Air B&B .
I didn't think there were any motels between you & Karamea
 
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I think the motel owners feel the same way about Air B&B .
Amateurs never have any compliance costs.
We are planning a trip down the coast in the next couple of weeks and we shall be staying at motels and anything other than Air B&B .
I have someone at a local farmers market here who is supplied honey by a local beekeeper "friend", she then jars it and puts it up for sale with no labels or anything. Is the issue with the beekeeper or the seller?
surely the market organisers have a responsibility to check food sellers are legit incl labelling.
 
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I have someone at a local farmers market here who is supplied honey by a local beekeeper "friend", she then jars it and puts it up for sale with no labels or anything. Is the issue with the beekeeper or the seller?
talking to a major packer of national supermarket honey, this season has been their worst for sales, they put it down to much more honey being sold at every farmers market, and small outlets etc, even some beeks paying supermarkets to sell honey.
 
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