Wairarapa links are strengthening to a potential billion-dollar trade in medical grade manuka honey.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has announced a funding deal with the Manuka Research Partnership (MRP) and health products company Comvita New Zealand to invest more than $1.7 million into high-yield manuka plantations on back country
land, including Wairarapa.
Massey University will spearhead the science for the seven-year scheme that will run onsite and on-campus husbandry trials to improve returns, Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says.
The scheme aims to expand 16-fold the medicinal manuka honey trade for New Zealand from $75 million to more than a billion.
The Manuka Research Partnership brings together Comvita with Dan and Diana Riddiford's Aborex Industries in Wairarapa, Taranaki company Nukuhau Carbon and Taihape beekeepers, Tweeddale.
Comvita is the largest Kiwi producer of active manuka honey products,
Nevin Amos, Comvita spokesman, said his company had developed a range of manuka cultivars but needed to pin down the science on crop yields in differing soils, environments and climates.
"We need to know the flower quality, nectar yields and plant growth rates," he said. "The programme will move the manuka honey industry from wild harvest to science-based farming and add value."
Mr Amos said the supply of medical grade manuka honey was constrained and "if we are to grow 10-15 per cent year on year, then we need to increase the amount of honey available".
Comvita used more than half of the country's supply of up to 3000 tonnes a year.
Taihape apiarist Don Tweeddale said a usual beehive produced 35kg of manuka honey each season although he and Nukuhau Carbon owner Neil Walker had boosted production in 85 hives to 55kg.
Comvita intends being involved in the planting of another 30,000 hectares of manuka during the next five to 10 years, which will produce an additional 1500 tonnes of high-grade honey.
Mr Amos said there were 1.4million hectares of erosion-prone farmland available in the North Island, including Wairarapa, and "that's plenty of land to do what we plan".
Steens Honey, a Comvita supplier and now a retail competitor that is the largest manuka honey player in the region, is also involved with an industry group developing new cultivars and high-yield plantations.
"This is a highly competitive industry.
"It's not like kiwifruit and dairying and we are looking at securing our own future supplies," managing director Paul Steens said.
