Manuka honey pot of gold
There’s a real buzz across the country, as the manuka honey market continues to strengthen.
It’s having flow-on effects for farmers, the environment, and the economy – but why is the demand surging so much?
The country is now the third largest exporter of honey by value, its worth nearly doubling last year to $281 million.
True Honey Co is one of the latest brands to join the New Zealand honey market, having been supplying honey to various outfits for a few years before this year’s launch.
Co-founder Jim McMillan says it’s demand for the product and relatively limited supply that has made manuka honey so prized.
‘‘There’s a lot of hype around it,’’ McMillan adds.
‘‘It never ceases to amaze me how people use manuka honey.
‘‘It’s quite incredible really, I guess you only need to look online.’’
He’s heard of people using the honey to heal wounds (although he insists they were only selling a food product), facemasks, or just eating a teaspoon each day.
‘‘I’ve been quite surprised ... When we decided to use the MGO rating system, we were expecting a lower awareness.’’
There are two ways to measure activity levels in manuka honey: MGOand UMF.
MGOmeasures the methyglyoxal levels of the honey.
It’s proportionate in regard to the activity level in the honey, with a rating of 500 being half of 1000.
UMF, the Unique Honey Factor, is the industry standard; it tests the antibacterial performance of a honey, and compares it to phenol, a disinfectant.
‘‘There’s been a lot of good feedback about the flavour and characteristics of it,’’ he said.
Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association administrator John Rawcliffe says the industry is doing exceptionally well.
‘‘There’s a lot of opportunity that bee-keeping can give New Zealand incorporated,’’ Rawcliffe says.
With the increasing amount of science behind the health benefits, it was bound to do well for many facets of the country’s well-being, he adds.
‘‘Not only the income of New Zealand ...It’s really standing up as a real contributor.’’
It provides farmers and land owners with another source of income, as it’s possible to use hardto-reach and non-grazeable land to hold hives and plant manuka.
However, although it contributes a significant amount to the country’s economy, the majority of the honey is exported offshore.
The New Zealand name has also become synonymous with quality honey too, Rawcliffe says.