Apiculture
Putting the buzz back into beekeeping
The sometimes solitary pursuit of professional beekeeping is signalling that all is not well in the hive, writes Craig Page.
Mites gnaw into honey industry’s wellbeing
New survey looks at how varroa affects not just hives, but beekeepers too.
Getting through tough times
A beekeeper shares how he managed to find joy in the simple things while mitigating the sting of a rollercoaster industry.
Sweet indicative offer for Comvita shares
Unsolicited overseas offer for all shares received.
Honey strategy calls for stickier sector
New approach centred on greater unity, particularly in dealing with biosecurity threats.
Nine million years between NZ and Australian mānuka
Latest genetic findings give new hope to honey producers keen to protect NZ variety.
Varroa mites bite twice into hive health
German research confirms worst fears about knock-off effects of varroa mite.
Wellington beekeeper gets a royal nod
Frank Lindsay in New Year Honours list for services to the industry.
Sticky situation for honey company
Comvita warns market of tough times as US, China disappoint.
Beekeepers take a win on audit shift
Sweet result as MPI returns to annual audits after imposing six-monthly process on facilities.
Comvita hits record despite storm losses
Mānuka honey company’s revenue from China tops $100m for the first time
Bee’s knees named at Apiculture awards
Announcement of industry’s finest caps annual conference.
Honey firm sets sights on mānuka trademark
Comvita bullish after buying Singapore chain of honey stores.
Trust opts not to appeal mānuka honey ruling
The mānuka honey industry lost its government-backed bid to trademark the term “Mānuka Honey” in New Zealand in May.
Mānuka case points to deeper rights issue
NZ laws are ill-equipped for protecting Māori taonga and mātauranga.
Apiculturalists set to swarm Rotorua
All things bee on the agenda for conference and trade show.
NZ honey not done with mānuka fight
Sector will stand together and battle on, it says after trademark loss.
Mānuka honey trademark call ‘disappointing’
New blow to bid for exclusive use of name – this time from within NZ itself.
MPI pours funding into saving cyclone-hit hives
Starvation and varroa mites beset hives out of reach in back country.
Comvita buzzing, but honey harvest could get sticky
Yield has been hit hard by weather events in December, January and February.
Mānuka honey exporter collapses owing $2.9m
Following a statutory demand and liquidation application, the shareholder placed the company into liquidation.
Mānuka boom and bust stings beekeepers
At the top end it can fetch $3700 a jar, but ‘gold rush’ has also led to oversupply.
Mānuka honey appellation bid collapses in UK, Europe
Stinging setback, but NZ fights on for mānuka honey.
Mates out to create buzz over alcohol brewed from honey
Two Kiwis on a mission set out to show the world that all of NZ’s native honeys – and not just mānuka – can make premium products.
Bee vaccine welcomed – with caution
Slowing the rate of spread could be problematic.
Massive stockpiles as mānuka buzz fades
Massive stockpiles of honey may have to be discounted after hive bonanza.
Bigger mānuka honey harvest sweetens earnings
Comvita has been following a transformation strategy for more than two years after making losses.
Pesky parasite threatens Aus’ honey sector
Australia’s strict biosecurity measures have been pivotal in ensuring the country has remained mite-free and its current containment efforts are centred around eradication.
Sweet trade deal for mānuka honey
Appellation protection alongside tariff removal is an added bonus for the honey sector in the recently announced European…
NZ-EU deal brings windfall to diverse sectors
While the traditional pastoral sector is lamenting the European Union-New Zealand free trade deal as a lost opportunity,…
Nathan Guy to chair Apiculture NZ
Former MP Nathan Guy will take over as independent chair of Apiculture NZ in July 2022, taking over from Bruce Wills who has held the role since the industry organisation was established in 2016.
Varroa gains momentum after 20 years
MORE than two decades after it arrived in New Zealand, varroa mite is being reported as the main reason behind a significant jump in beehive colony losses.
NZ pushes on with mānuka appeal
New Zealand honey producers are remaining steadfast in their intention to maintain control over the term mānuka honey, as they lodge an appeal against a ruling made by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office.
Handbook for honey bee health
A handbook offering practical guidance on how to plant strategically to feed bees is now available free to New Zealand farmers.
NZ mānuka honey producers stung by ruling
The mānuka honey sector has responded with shock and dismay at a ruling by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office, which rejected New Zealand’s exclusive trademark claim to the words “mānuka honey”.
High hive numbers not helping production
A poor summer and continuous overstocking of beehives in some areas have contributed to a slide in honey production for the 2020-21 season, while honey exports leapt sharply from previous years.