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National Bee Week 2009


Bee Week and the Biosecurity Battle


Horticulture New Zealand can not let Bee Week go by without raising the subject of biosecurity protection at our borders, and its inevitable link to the use of agrichemicals.

The threat to our primary sector from pest and disease incursions is only going to increase, and the bee industry’s experience of the spread of the varroa mite in the past decade is just one example.

“The primary sector has its fingers collectively crossed, every day, all year round, that nothing new comes through our border,” HortNZ CEO Peter Silcock says.


Biosecurity and the Need to Protect the Honey Bee


During National Bee Week, we have highlighted the importance of the honey bee. We began with honey production and then emphasised the valuable contribution of the honey bee to the national economy. Conservative estimates show that about $3billion of our GDP is attributable the intensive pollination of horticultural crops and agricultural pastures achieved using honey bees. About one third of our food comes as a result of honey bee pollination. We highlighted the need to protect the bee in our everyday work by avoiding exposure to chemicals. Our research in recent years has had to focus on Varroa which was detected in New Zealand in 2000.

The Varroa incursion highlights New Zealand’s vulnerability to biosecurity threats.


Research and Development in the Bee Industry


The National Beekeepers Association has invested heavily in research. The funding for our research has come from beekeepers, the Honey Industry Trust, and horticulture industry organisations, which together, have underpinned the significant contribution from the Sustainable Farming Fund that we have received in recent years.


Bees come to The Beehive

Pictorial report of the Bee Week visit to Parliament.

NBA President Frans Laas explains bee behaviour to David Carter, Minister of Agriculture; Ruud Kleinpaste, MC and guest speaker; and Maureen Maxwell, Northern Ward representative. Neil Farrer and Clenn Kelly in the background.

Frans Laas (left) and David Carter (right) hold aloft a display of live bees.

Display for the evening reception hosted by David Carter.

The very successful launch of National Bee Week on Tuesday evening was attended by more than 60 guests.

MC Ruud Kleinpaste, David Carter, Minister of Agriculture and for Biosecurity, Jim Edwards, CEO National Beekeepers Association, Kate Wilkinson, Minister of Food Safety and Frans Laas President National Beekeepers Association.

Below: Master of Ceremonies and guest speaker, Ruud Kleinpaste, emphasised the importance of the honey bee and the health of the environment.


Use Agrichemicals Responsibly to Protect our Bees


Growers and farmers well know the bee’s importance to high performing crops and pasture. Even crops that are intended to be self-pollinating perform better if pollinated by bees. Good agricultural and horticultural practice therefore relies on the correct use of agrichemicals, especially insecticides. It is imperative that growers keep the two apart.

The use of agrichemicals toxic to bees is controlled by the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and the Agricultural Chemicals and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997. These laws make it an offence to use agrichemicals contrary to any bee toxicity warning on the label.


Bee Week Has a Serious Sting in its Tail


Bee Week is not just about celebrating cute bumble bees and hard-working honey bees. It’s about the essential work millions of bees do every day, pollinating crops.

The sting in the tail of Bee Week is a serious message – in other parts of the world, bees are dying.

“We can stop that happening here, but we have to be smart, vigilant and we have to spend money on research,” Horticulture New Zealand CEO Peter Silcock says.

“The value of pollination to New Zealand is almost beyond calculation. Cautious estimates say at least a third of the food we eat is the direct result of pollination.

“Then there are the multi-billion dollars in export earnings derived from pollinated crops, which puts jobs in our rural towns and money in the bank,” Peter says.


Australian Study Tour Underway


The group assembled at 8 pm May 3 at the Airport Garden Inn Motel for a group briefing, received their travel packs, completed documentation, assigned their tasks for the tour, fitted out with overalls, veils and stationary packs.

Maureen Maxwell presented the group with embroidered polo shirts and hats. An overview of the Itinerary was given to the group by Trevor Cullen. All the group stayed together overnight, wake up call was to be from 4 am and shuttled to the airport 5 am next morning for flight to Brisbane May 4 which was a public holiday there.


The Value of Pollination


Bees make an NZ$3 billion annual contribution to our economy as pollinators of plants and grasses. The major crops such kiwifruit, avocado, apples and the less known crops of small seeds industry grown in Canterbury all rely on the intensive pollination provided by the honey bee. Bumble bees are important pollinators in some crops and are used intensively in glasshouses. The grass feeding based livestock industries rely on the honey bee pollination of clovers in their pastures. Many of these crops would not be viable without bee pollination.


Beekeepers depart for Australian Study Tour


A group of beekeepers from around the country departed today for a ten day study tour of beekeeping in Australia. This tour has been funded by the Honey Industry Trust.

The tour will provide an opportunity for the beekeepers to observe the signs of Small Hive Beetle infestation and European Foulbrood so that they will be able to identify these diseases and disseminate this information amongst their fellow beekeepers.


The Value of Honey Products


New Zealand bee products are sought after worldwide. About10,500 tonnes of honey is produced annually, almost half is exported. Exports of honey are valued at around NZ$71 million, including NZ$4 million of premium organic honey.

The New Zealand honey crop for 2007/08 was estimated at 12,375 tonnes, up 28 percent on the 2006/07 crop of 9666 tonnes, and 17.3 percent higher than the six-year average. The national average was 36 kilograms per hive compared to 30.7 kilograms last season.

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