Nāti Growth starts global launch of mānuka honey product line next week

Nāti Growth is running a global launch next week for its new mānuka honey project, Te Ihi. Photo / Strike Photography

Nāti Growth, the commercial investment arm for Ngāti Porou, aims to secure international markets with its mānuka honey product launch.

Next Thursday, Nāti Growth will launch its global wellness brand Te Ihi, which it says is rooted in the land, culture and healing traditions of Ngāti Porou.

“The Te Ihi brand represents a legacy of community, resilience and respect for nature,” Nāti Growth chief executive officer Henare Walker said.

“We will launch in the United Arab Emirates, followed by Europe and other key global regions.”

Last February, a state-of-the-art honey extraction facility opened at Te Araroa, bringing together Ngāti Porou people, landowners and resident apiculture businesses across the mānuka honey value chain.

The partnership between Nāti Growth, regional economic development agency Trust Tairāwhiti, and Māori incorporation Whetumatarau B45B aims to provide greater regional returns, sustainable jobs and training.

The $5 million, 1000sq m facility was developed over two years.

All Te Ihi products use mānuka honey sustainably harvested from hives on Ngāti Porou land and other Māori land blocks.

The extraction facility in Te Araroa has created local employment and supported the long-term wellbeing of one of New Zealand’s most remote communities.

The goal was to build up the number of hives and find the trees that provide the best mānuka and produce the highest-grade UMF mānuka honey. Large stands of wild mānuka grow naturally across the land.

The new Te Ihi products are designed for skin repair and everyday healthcare, with one option suitable for pets.

The brand name, Te Ihi, refers to life force, energy and sacred vitality.

A statement from Te Ihi said it reflected the brand’s mission to honour nature’s power and share the wellness potential of mānuka with the world.

It described Ngāti Porou mānuka as a UMF-certified monofloral honey with antibacterial action and a wide variety of health benefits.