Honey and Bees New Zealand (HBNZ) is the new national industry body for commercial beekeeping. It brings together the representative roles previously carried out by Apiculture New Zealand and New Zealand Beekeeping Inc, creating a single, stronger voice for the sector.

While HBNZ’s primary focus is on issues affecting commercial beekeeping, it represents everyone involved in beekeeping, honey production and exporting, pollination services, and industry support services.

As a voluntary organisation, its purpose is to advocate for, and deliver tangible benefits to, the New Zealand beekeeping sector.

To ensure the important role of the beekeeping sector, including its contribution to the wider New Zealand economy through pollination, is recognised and enhanced. Honey and Bees New Zealand needs the support of beekeeping individuals and organisations. Becoming a member will give the beekeeping sector a strong, credible voice and help secure practical benefits.

Honey and Bees New Zealand is set up to do what beekeepers individually can’t do on their own. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Speaking up
  • Biosecurity – Yellow-Legged Hornet and potential future incursions, advocacy on the American foulbrood Pest Management Plan (AFBPMP)
  • Pollination – recognition of its value
  • Market access – free trade agreements, managing the unknown like the recent Middle East oil sanctions
  • Policy & Standards – advocating for practical policies & standards that affect our sector from bee health to pollination and honey production to cost of compliance, bylaws and legislation, e.g., Import Health Standards (IHS)

• Staying informed:
  • Regular industry updates that keep members up to date on what matters
  • Regional meetings and a national conference planned for 2027

• Saving money
  • Lab testing discounts across the three main honey labs

By joining HBNZ, members help the sector work together to address the challenges facing beekeeping in New Zealand. A strong membership base gives the industry greater collective influence and creates more opportunities to develop practical solutions. It also helps share the workload by drawing on members’ expertise, so responsibility for industry advocacy and problem-solving does not fall on just a few people.

Below is a short list of some of the issues that could be addressed:

• Poor industry recognition
• Increasing biosecurity threats
• Declining bee numbers
• An aging workforce, particularly owners of businesses
• Decreasing profitability
• Limited ability and scope to bring new products to market
• No generic marketing strategy

Working on these issues would improve the sustainability of our industry

“The outlook for beekeeping in New Zealand is positive. That’s exactly when it’s easy to forget why a strong industry body matters, until you need one.

When discussions of recent fuel restrictions threatened operations, it was an industry body that sat down with MPI to make sure beekeepers were allocated what they needed to keep hives alive. When COVID locked the country down, it was an industry body that fought for beekeepers to keep working their hives. These aren’t exceptional wins, they’re the basics of what organised representation delivers. There’s more potential to do bigger and better things also.

Government agencies are far more willing to invest in R&D and industry development when they’re dealing with a unified, credible group. A fragmented industry leaves that funding on the table.”

Get behind it.”

 – Liam Gavin, Gavin’s Apiaries

“In the 1970s the old NBA invested money in researching a worthless honey and Peter Molan discovered MANUKA. Manuka is now the most valuable honey in the world that no one would ever have discovered without an industry body.

Only by cooperating can we stay ahead of the future challenges of varroa and the other exotic pests yet to arrive. There are less than 400 commercial beekeepers in New Zealand so for this to work we need every one of you to join Honey and Bees NZ

Every day we watch tens of thousands of bees selflessly work together to survive and thrive in the hive, why can’t we!”

– Bill Savage, Wildcape Honey

“The formation of Honey and Bees New Zealand marks a new beginning for New Zealand’s beekeeping future.

One that brings with it an opportunity for industry wide unity, growth, and stability.

Together, we can build a stronger, sustainable future for New Zealand beekeeping.”

– Jaime McRae, ApiLife

All fees are GST exclusive

*Hive fee applicable to beekeeping businesses with more than 500 hives (capped at 4,000 hives).

For the period 1 July 2026 – 31 March 2027, subscription fees will be applied pro-rata for the nine months to 31 March 2027. The additional hive fee will be payable for that period as outlined above, ie $1 per hive.

Fill out the appropriate application form below and se will send you an invoice and provide you with a membership number.

Any queries, please contact info@honeyandbees.nz

Honey and Bees New Zealand is governed by a Board of five directors.

An election of directors is now underway, to establish the inaugural Board. Information about the nominations process, including dates, desired candidate profiles, eligibility and expectations of directors can be found via the link below.

Find out more about HBNZ purpose, activities, membership and governance structure via the link below.