When will beekeepers wake up

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tommy dave

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mostly wellington, sometimes dunedin
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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.
On top of that, I wonder what proportion of supermarket sales the last 5-10 years has been people buying to take or send overseas, daigu channel sales or simply as gifts
 
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It's a lon g time since I learned Latin ...... scientia sit potentia ...... is that the potential of science ..... or potential with science ?
 
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New Zealand
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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.
I have some reservations over the complete accuracy of the MPI data. It is a little broad brush. While the HS code remains the same regardless of the honey variety there will be discrepancy. As an overview I would suggest that Manuka exports have grown relatively strongly but price competition has also strengthened. Simultaneously quality standards continue to improve while compliance cost and complexity has increased. My view would be that future growth of the Manuka market internationally would be strong with new market channels that are not reliant upon honey in a jar. Quality and compliance standards will have to develop further to capitalise on these opportunities.
Non Manuka honey and pale clover in particular has significant future opportunities to grow export business if the price can sustainably be held at <$4.50 per kg. Sustained at this level without significant peaks and troughs and volume contracts will return. Any sharp movements upwards and it is like turning off a tap over night that takes years to turn back on.
Australian honey with MGO content will continue to chip away at the market edges, muddy the waters with the consumer and negatively effect pricing in some markets. Legally dealing with the plagiarism of the 'Manuka' name must remain a priority for the New Zealand honey industry. A strong Manuka industry will help support and develop a strong non Manuka honey industry.
 
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Now I think I've heard it all.....
Essentially paying supermarkets for shelf space is not unusual or new. New market entrants do this regularly. In my opinion it is a race to the bottom. It can also reduce the quality of choice for the consumer. Products arrive on the shelf not through merit of quality, innovation or brand but purely because of the financial support given to the retailer to subsidise margin.
 

southbee

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Southland
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I agree, it's not new and sure supermarkets aren't easy to deal with, the bigger they get the more difficult it gets. But they are run by real people and they do want good products on their shelves, at least some of them. The ones which don't, will miss out on my honey. Their loss ;)
 
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It's interesting that if you forget to dot an i or cross a t on a harvest declaration then MPI can come down like a ton of bricks but if you report somebody selling honey from the side of the road even in the high tutin area suddenly everybody is too busy to do anything. I personally think that the standards have been set way too high and some of the hoops you have to go through are just ridiculous but if we have to have standards then they should be applied evenly to everybody and they are not. I have been tempted to rub MPI's nose in a couple of local messes that they have been told about but studiously ignored. Don't get me wrong I have some good friends in MPI and there are some wonderful people there but also many that seemed to be just out to make life difficult and some of the decisions from on high are just ridiculous. They can also make life very difficult for people who disagree with them.
 

kaihoka

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whanganui inlet
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Things are getting pretty sad in the beekeeping industry, even selling the good manuka honey seems hard to do, havent even heard back from my buyers with a price😢 no sales since last season, winter treatments to buy, hives to honey off, shifting to do and tax times coming up.
That must be so demoralising .
Sheep farmers have the same situation with wool .
But at least they can sell the meat .
 

frazzledfozzle

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Nelson/Tasman District
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Things are getting pretty sad in the beekeeping industry, even selling the good manuka honey seems hard to do, havent even heard back from my buyers with a price😢 no sales since last season, winter treatments to buy, hives to honey off, shifting to do and tax times coming up.

and yet everyones talking up the manuka industry .
Supposedly it’s flying off the shelves and if you have “good” manuka honey demand is high and prices firm....it’s not what I’m hearing
 
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and yet everyones talking up the manuka industry .
Supposedly it’s flying off the shelves and if you have “good” manuka honey demand is high and prices firm....it’s not what I’m hearing
Prices are firmly dropping from what I've been offered the past few seasons and my honeys been the same, maybe the packers are just paying the beekeepers less and making a huge profit.
 


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