Make money from manuka

Manuka in flower.

Make Money from Manuka Honey is the theme of seminars for farmers at the National Fieldays.

Manuka Farming NZ general manager Stephen Lee has brought together industry experts to provide landowners with key information to create sustainable new revenue from on-farm manuka plantations.

Stephen Lee

"There is some misinformation around growing manuka plantations so we will be presenting some key findings from the High Performance Manuka Plantations Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme and give an opportunity for landowners to hear from a range of experts with whom we work," says Mr lee.

"The information provided will cover the whole value chain which enable a landowner to get a good understanding of how to get money from the honey.

"The goal is to help landowners make informed decisions on how well-managed manuka plantations are used to generate positive returns from marginal land," says Mr Lee. The free seminars include industry experts from apiculture, forestry, finance and academia backgrounds.

Topics covered include how to make money from manuka honey, financial grants available and financing options, designing plantations for optimum production, de-risking the threat of diseases like myrtle rust, and ways to optimise bee health.

Manuka Farming NZ is interested in property owners or investors with more than 20ha of land, as well as hill country landowners, who could use manuka to protect erosion prone land.

"If you are serious about establishing manuka on your land for honey, you really need to attend these seminars"

"The seminars are designed to be small and intimate (no more than 15 people at each) with subject matter experts and we are urging anyone interested in attending to pre-register via our website.

"We are in for the long haul.

"With ongoing science, landowners can be assured that they will always have the latest and best knowledge, tools, and services when they work with us," says Mr Lee.

Interested people should pre-register at manukafarmingnz.co.nz to guarantee a seat.
"If you cannot attend in person, we ask that you register to receive copies of the presentations."

* For more information, contact Stephen Lee on 020 412 22858 or call in to site number E56 at Fieldays.