Govt to investigate marketing of honey

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32659, 15 July 1971, Page 9

Govt to investigate marketing of honey

(New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, July 14. The Under-Secretary of Agriculture (Mr A. D. Dick) announced today that a committee of Government caucus is to be set up to investigate all aspects of honey marketing. Mr Dick was opening the annual conference of the National Beekeepers’ Association in Greymouth. Mr Dick said that he would be chairman of the committee, and pointed out that the findings would first be reported to caucus and then made available to the industry.

“We shall assess the requisites of e honey marketing system; examine how the system is being operated, and suggest ways in which the system may be improved. “I would stress, however, that these will be suggestions,- not, directives and, although I trust they will be seriously considered for adoption, there will be no obligation to accept any of them,” he said. President's address The present situation in New Zealand was making many beekeepers wonder if there is any future at all in the honey industry, according to the president of the association (Mr B. W. Forsyth) in his report to the conference. “The situation on the local market, which we find to be grossly over-supplied with honey, has been aggravated by many beekeepers packing their honey, in an endeavour to obtain an increased financial return. “This is having an adverse effect on the local trading activities of the Honey Marketing Authority, and is leaving the major packers with no option but to compete for survival at reduced prices,” he said. This set of circumstances, together with mounting costs with which we are all faced, has brought about a situation which is making many beekeepers wonder If there is any future at all in the honey industry.” Cadet scheme failure Mr Forsyth also said that the industry was slowly being paralysed by the almost nonexistence of young assistants and cadets. “The diploma in apiculture, instituted in 1962, has had an almost nil response, as has our cadetship scheme,” he said.

“The replacement of young cadets by automation and machinery will, no doubt, give rise to major problems over the next decade. We are even learning to dispense with labour to Work this machinery, because we cannot afford to pay for it. “We must make more effort to attract these-young men into our industry, because they will be the beekeepers of tomorrow. To achieve this, we 'must make every endeavour to get th« industry Into a more prosperous position," he said. Honey had been produced commercially in New Zealand for more than 100 years, said Mr Forsyth, and he suggested that It was time a solution was found to the problem. In spite of a slight drop in the total number of beekeepers to 3228, Mr Forsyth reported that the total hive holdings had Increased by 10,000. Modem farming problems Modem farming methods in New Zealand—the removal of increasing areas of native bush, and the onslaught of the purification of the land with hormones and insecticides—were causing the beekeepers throughout the country many serious problems, Mr Forsyth said. “This policy destroys every stem of flowering weed, every piece of scrub, and so creates a problem for the bees,” he said. He reported that the executive was endeavouring to set up plans for the regeneration of nectar-bearing trees, with the Lands and Survey Department and the Minister of Works, while an Auckland apiculturist had been asked to prepare a short list of nectar-bearing trees for distribution to State nurseries for their guidance when new blocks are planted. “This would ensure an adequate supply of nectar for the bees, in order that they can supply the life-giving pollen to the pastures, which the farmer needs,” Mr Forsyth said.