No levy for beekeepers
Commercial beekeepers have resoundingly defeated an attempt by Apiculture New Zealand to introduce a commodity levy.
Only 23.56 per cent voted for the levy, with 76.44 per cent against. Turnout was 60.96 per cent of the 1734 eligible honey producers. ApiNZ chairman Bruce Wills said the result reflected the financial pressure beekeepers were under.
‘‘It’s no secret that this is not the outcome I, or the board, wanted to see.
‘‘I believe it will set back the development of the honey industry, but I understand that at present commercial beekeepers are hurting with the erosion in honey prices as a result of over-supply, for all floral types other than ma¯ nuka honey.’’
The levy proposal was to charge beekeepers 10c per kilogram.
Prices for non-ma¯nuka honeys have dropped by half in the past year.
ApiNZ argued the levy was needed to put the industry on a secure footing and help it develop.
Some of those opposing saw it as a referendum over confidence in ApiNZ.
Beekeeping NZ president Jane Lorimer questioned whether ApiNZ was the appropriate organisation to manage industry funds. ‘‘It lacks beekeeper focus, is a poor communicator with beekeepers, is too dominated by larger corporate players, too focused on ma¯nuka honey, and has shown itself unwilling to really confront the Ministry for Primary Industries’ poor record as a regulator,’’ Lorimer said recently.
Wills said ApiNZ would focus on making compliance requirements less onerous and trying to grow the value of native monofloral honeys.