When will beekeepers wake up

[frazzledfozzle]

In my opinion Karin Kos making these statements to the media is really making it hard for those of us that aren’t selling our honey.
Landowners read the paper and think things are booming and manuka honey is still the golden goose and believe we are lying to their face when we say how bad things are right now.

 

[James]

Hmmm ..... the missus met a neighbour on the weekend ..... he had just sold last years crop of Manuka for $7/kg. I guess it was'nt great stuff, but the area it came from the going rate to secure sites is $150/hive .... and this afternoon the phone rang from a guy we have sold honey to in the past. He was chasing Honey Dew and offering $2.50/kg .....
What a joke .
I guess I'm gonna have to get a bigger digger in for the hole.

 

[Maru Hoani]

Hopefully an AP2 job comes up, atleast ill get paid, sux working hard when you cant even cover costs or pay yourself

 

[Jamo]

In my opinion Karin Kos making these statements to the media is really making it hard for those of us that aren’t selling our honey.
Landowners read the paper and think things are booming and manuka honey is still the golden goose and believe we are lying to their face when we say how bad things are right now.

Agree
It seems that many of the reports put out by api culture are based on export prices for which there is probably reasonable data to base a report on. Trouble is export prices are worlds apart from what is being offered to beekeepers for bulk honey. Sends the wrong message to the general public.

 

[southbee]

In my opinion Karin Kos making these statements to the media is really making it hard for those of us that aren’t selling our honey.
Landowners read the paper and think things are booming and manuka honey is still the golden goose and believe we are lying to their face when we say how bad things are right now.

Absolutely! Things are difficult enough without your supposedly own helping like that!

 

[southbee]

Agree
It seems that many of the reports put out by api culture are based on export prices for which there is probably reasonable data to base a report on. Trouble is export prices are worlds apart from what is being offered to beekeepers for bulk honey. Sends the wrong message to the general public.

If these are export prices then there seems to be a huge discrepancy between them and what we are being paid. Also sends the message to me that we're being ripped off?

 

[Scientia Sit Potentia]

Is the aussie manuka still a big competition? Cheaper than NZ manuka?

I refuse to use the 'M' word to describe the AUS product. It does however, have an impact in certain markets with the less aware consumer. It forces a more concerted education process and negatively distorts pricing at the lower end.

 

[tristan]

If these are export prices then there seems to be a huge discrepancy between them and what we are being paid. Also sends the message to me that we're being ripped off?

more likely they are retail pricing rather than wholesale. (tho i havn't checked the actual prices just yet)

 

[Alastair]

I'm wondering if things are turning a corner. For the last several years I have been selling honey in dribs and drabs but had an ever growing store of it in someone elses shed, which they were starting to get jumpy about .
But last year got all of it sold, and just now managed to flog all of this seasons production, and I even had to withold a few drums just so I can meet existing customer requirements through until the next honey harvest next season.

I don't know if I just been particularly lucky, or if things are picking up generally?

Another thing, the honey I sell in shops is marketed as native forest honey, and sales jump every time there is a covid scare. Including this time since the omicron wave, sales have speeded up quite a bit.

I'm not getting as much money as I would like for any of this, but it is I think priced to the market, I do turn a small profit, and it's great not having to worry about a honey mountain.

 

[tristan]

yes some honey grades are selling well, others are not. it also can be a case of who you deal with. those who have been looking after their buyers may be getting preferred treatment to those who just chased the dollar.
i still hear of companies sitting on a mountain of stock.

 

[James]

Sold out this year!

 

[Alastair]

Other interesting thing I'll throw in for a bit of info for people, all my honey had to be tested for glyphosate which I did worry about cos I spray around the hives with roundup. But nearly all the honey came back as not detected, just one batch of 5 drums was detected, but well below the level needed for Japan.
So I'm going to stop freaking out about roundup and continue using it, just going to be a little more careful not to get it on the bees or the landing boards

 

[Goran]

I sold some of multifloral: chestnut/linden/blackberry et all honey ( about a barrel) for 9,40 nzd. If I wanted to press harder I could squeeze little more but due to respect for certain buyer I considered it fair price for both sides, generally there is lack of REAL honey here and it seems to be trendy.. But as I see there is weirdo trend of " vegan" honey in Europe, to hell the all, I can invert a zillion of sugar into " vegan" honey and forget about hard work with bees. This world has no future if this is what it is going to be.. In fact I have one can of inverted syrup which left me while we make fondants and I am so tempted to place it under sale for TRUE VEGANS ONLY.. When I think about it, horns start to grow on my forehead..

 

[Alastair]

Good for you Goran you have done well.

Yes there are some good things about veganism but also some bad. One of the bad being no issues at all with consuming large amounts of sugar. Vegan "hunney" is just simply a massive hit of sugar, without any goodness in it. It is also SUPER expensive, I don't see it ever being a serious contender with real honey. Fake honey pretending to be the real thing is a bigger threat and already doing serious damage to the beekeeping industry in the USA and probably other countries.

 

[Goran]

Good for you Goran you have done well.

Yes there are some good things about veganism but also some bad. One of the bad being no issues at all with consuming large amounts of sugar. Vegan "hunney" is just simply a massive hit of sugar, without any goodness in it. It is also SUPER expensive, I don't see it ever being a serious contender with real honey. Fake honey pretending to be the real thing is a bigger threat and already doing serious damage to the beekeeping industry in the USA and probably other countries.

Veganism at my place.. as much I can see is Snobbism in its full glory. Don't get me wrong, I know some people that eat only veggies and other plants but don't rub it on my nose and I respect it and I say, I wish I can do it as same. But, I am meat lover and won't make radical change. Beside a meat we eat A LOT of fresh veggies we grow by our own.. Sometimes I have in a same plate 11 different veggies from our garden, but we also eat meat.. We also adore fruits, and we grow over 14 different types fruits for us ( apples, pears, plums, grapes, apricots, etc, etc..). We like it fresh and tasty and in BIG quantities..

 

[Mummzie]

when in Europe, many moons ago now- Veganism was far more visible than in NZ at the time, but sadly we are catching up.
My food policy follows Michael Pollen- Generally anti processed food. Ie. if its a product that contains more than 4 ingredients, its not food. If its a product your grandmother wouldn't recognise, its not food.
I work with a vegan, and his diet consists of much processed food. Largely because its so difficult to be vegan according to him.

Snobbism in its full glory

Oh yes.

 

[southbee]

when in Europe, many moons ago now- Veganism was far more visible than in NZ at the time, but sadly we are catching up.
My food policy follows Michael Pollen- Generally anti processed food. Ie. if its a product that contains more than 4 ingredients, its not food. If its a product your grandmother wouldn't recognise, its not food.
I work with a vegan, and his diet consists of much processed food. Largely because its so difficult to be vegan according to him.

Oh yes.

A food dietician told me many years ago when I was still working in Europe exactly the same. The more natural your food, the better for you. That's the only diet I follow, with very enjoyable diversions to some chips and fast food when it's around me....

 

[tommy dave]

My food policy follows Michael Pollen- Generally anti processed food. Ie. if its a product that contains more than 4 ingredients, its not food. If its a product your grandmother wouldn't recognise, its not food.

similar here, eat real food, not too much, mostly plants is the ideal - i don't reach it, but aspiration is a start