The Bay of Plenty's manuka honey industry has become one of the first in the country to set up an advocacy group to help implement a manuka strategy.
The Manuka Action Group has been established as part of the region's Agribusiness Action Plan, one of the nine action areas of the Bay of Plenty Regional Growth Programme. Action group chairman Warwick Murray said the willingness of industry within the region to work together meant real gains could be made.
The group's objectives included expanding the Bay of Plenty's manuka estate, with a goal of 500ha of manuka planted annually. It also aims to diversify alternative land use in the region, support industry to collectively resolve industry-wide issues, encourage innovation and development, and provide an advocacy role for manuka-based agribusiness within the wider Bay of Plenty and Taupo.
"The development of [the group] has been a huge achievement, with representation from five of the major processing and export organisations in the Bay of Plenty sitting around the table, along with significant Maori landowners, Department of Conservation, and crown research institutes," said Mr Murray.
"As a group, we have clearly established our objective of working together and coordinating our efforts to address challenges facing the industry. We're here for action, not just talk."