Hive harvest creates jobs

Beehives dot the Whanganui hinterland as mānuka starts flowering. Photo / Bevan Conley

Large landowner the Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation now employs four beekeepers and would be keen to get another experienced one.

Its 40,000-odd hectares of hill country in the Waimarino have a lot of mānuka, and more may soon come into production, CEO Andrew Beijeman said. Each hectare of mānuka can potentially produce 30kg of honey.

A trial planting of 14ha has been made on Ohorea Station, on a small piece of land fenced off to protect a waterway. More may be planted on steeper country this winter.

A honey storage shed has been built for the group in Ohakune.

Mr Beijeman spent a day as a beekeeper, and said beekeeping was similar to growing and selling milk, meat and wool. He said bees were stock, just like sheep and cattle.

"You've got to harvest the honey, and keep the bees free of diseases. You don't want to overstock, because you've got to have enough food to get them through winter."

Chairwoman Mavis Mullins said the incorporation's first foray into honey was leasing hive sites to Wairarapa-based Watson & Son. That's still happening, and will continue to be reviewed.

As well as the hives belonging to the Watsons, the incorporation now has 1000 of its own hives. It's heading for 1400 this season and 2000 next season, Mr Beijeman said.

It's looking to increase the value of the product by telling its story, with potential target markets in the United States and China.

This fits with the incorporation's overall strategy, to cultivate passionate consumers who know about the products they consume.

"We can add value by adding the authenticity of our story," Mrs Mullins said.

Neither she nor Mr Beijeman think the honey boom will turn into a bust. But they said it urgently needed regulation or a bust was possible.

"There's no indication of demand dropping away."

Both say more regulation for the industry is on the way. The first stage is due in January, when the Ministry for Primary Industries regulates the labelling of mānuka honey exported from New Zealand in jars.