Kerikeri backyard beekeepers making strides amid turbulent honey market

Kerikeri beekeeper and Bee Happy co-founder Scott Morgan says it's been exciting to watch demand for their products grow since they started out eight months ago.

A love of bees, honey and “doing good” is proving to be a winning formula for former backyard beekeepers-turned-commercial honey producers Scott and Lyn Morgan.

The Kerikeri couple own Bee Happy, a sustainable honey company supplying creamy mānuka and kānuka products to supermarkets, cafes and gift shops around the country.

Scott, a former plumber and gasfitter, said Bee Happy started from humble beginnings, thanks to a passion for nature and experimenting with a few hives in the backyard.

He said this quickly grew to more than 30 hives at their Ōtangaroa farm, and after just eight months on the market, demand for their honey was now calling them overseas.

“It’s grown really quickly, which is exciting, and the best thing for us is that we get to help other local beekeepers,” Scott said.

“This in turn helps the environment, which helps sustain all of us, and 10 per cent of all our profits go to local and international charities.

“We’re now looking at creating a honey super-balm for cuts and rashes, as well as a special barbecue rub made from refined honey powder, so [we] are currently in talks with markets in the Philippines and Europe about that.”

Bee Happy is bucking the trend in an environment where beekeepers are leaving the industry in droves, thanks to an oversupply of honey and plummeting honey prices.

While some beekeepers produce and export their own honey, the majority on-sell their honey to companies like Bee Happy, who blend, pack and sell the honey for them.

According to Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ), Northland is home to 687 beekeepers, 5450 apiaries and 51,394 colonies (hives).

The majority of these are hobbyists with fewer than 50 hives, with almost 100 small commercial operations (50-500 hives) and just over 20 with large commercial operations (500-plus hives).

Northland beekeeper and ApiNZ board representative for non-commercial beekeepers Paul Martin said many commercial beekeepers started out as ‘hobbyists’ or non-commercial beekeepers before their hobby grew.

Martin said while bees were fascinating, the most important thing to note when getting into beekeeping was that bees required significant care.

“It is critical you learn a bit about beekeeping before you get any bees and use the resources of the industry, in particular your local bee club, to help ensure your foray into bees is successful,” Martin said.

“Learning to keep bees with a small number of hives is a great way to learn the trade and ensure beekeeping is for you before you get hundreds of hives to look after [like a commercial beekeeper].”

This week also marks the last week of Bee Aware Month- an annual educational campaign run by Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ).

This year’s theme, ‘Love Our Bees’, is focused on the importance of pollination with regard to the environment and the wider food chain.

As part of the campaign, New Zealanders are being asked to show their love for bees by taking some simple steps to improve bee health.

This includes planting bee-friendly plants, especially at times of pollen dearth (like autumn and spring, when bees need extra sustenance) and avoiding spraying pesticides when plants are flowering.

Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos said while New Zealand was lucky to have a healthy bee population, it was important not to be complacent.

“Bees need our help to stay healthy, and Bee Aware Month is all about encouraging people to do those small but vital things that make a real difference,” Kos said.

“Each year, we send out educational materials and run a social media campaign, so this year, [we’ll distribute] tips on bee-friendly plants for pollinators people can add to their gardens.”

For more info on Bee Aware Month, visit: https://apinz.org.nz/bee-aware-month/.