Maori landowners and honey producers are in Rotorua for the National Maori Manuka Hui. Photo/File
Maori landowners and honey producers are in Rotorua for the National Maori Manuka Hui. Photo/File
Maori landowners and honey producers will be buzzing in Rotorua over the next two days as they attend the He kai kei aku ringa National Maori Manuka Hui.
Associate Minister for Economic Development Te Ururoa Flavell, who is opening the hui at the Holiday Inn this morning, said there aremajor opportunities for Maori landowners in manuka honey because of rising demand and prices.
"New Zealand exports more than $220 million of honey a year and volumes have more than doubled in the last 10 years in response to rising prices."
"There are huge opportunities here for Maori landowners to maximise the return from their manuka-covered land particularly in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, East Coast, and Northland.
"Iwi are already investing in the industry and there are many success stories. Government can help support this momentum by bringing all those involved in the industry together at this hui so they have a clearer understanding of the balance between risks and rewards in the industry," he said.
The conference is being held under the frame work of He kai kei aku ringa, the Crown-Maori Economic Growth Partnership. The conference sponsors are the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry for Primary Industries and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in Whakatane.
Guest speakers include Blanche Murray, a Director of Kai Ora Honey Ltd; Victor Goldsmith, general manager of the Ngati Porou Mīere (Honey) Limited Partnership, and Matthew Slater, chief investment officer of Ngai Tahu Holdings Group.
