AGM OF THE NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

  • John Luxton
Associate Minister of Agriculture

NELSON

Special Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to talk to you today to open your AGM. I know you have a pretty strong membership of 1200, which accounts for well over 90 percent of the hives in the country.

Your industry is important to New Zealand for several reasons.

Firstly, for the year ending January 1997, the honey crop was estimated at 8537 tonnes, of which 2771 tonnes were exported and valued at $11.2 million, up from $10.5m the previous year with a yield per hive of 29.5kgs.

Secondly, as well as exporting honey, there is also a thriving export of bees and thirdly, and probably most importantly, is the big contribution that your industry makes in terms of pollination and the impact on our other primary industries, such as horticulture and the pastoral sector.

While some may see the bee industry as small, your industry's contribution, both directly and indirectly to the economy is very large.

Today we live in an ever changing world which seams to be getting smaller every day. Advances in technology and the process of globalisation are continuing at pace.

In today's world, labour, capital and technology know no national boundaries. They simply shift to where they can be best utilised. The challenge for New Zealand and our export sectors in particular, is to make sure that we retain our competitiveness so that we can attract the capital and technology, use our labour, and increase our standards of living. Not only is this a discipline that we are going to have to get used to, but an opportunity and resource we are going to have to get better at tapping.

Globalisation and new technology are the drivers for the uncertainty and change of the future. They challenge our traditional thinking. We have to be able to adapt and respond quickly to these changes. I was interested to see your organisation using technology so that I was able to check into your homepage on the Internet, something that couldn't be done a few years ago.

For New Zealand, smaller niche industries such as your industry play an important part in our progress as a nation. While we may not be the biggest bee industry, we have to work hard to be the best.

I was delighted to recently present a Tradenz export commendation to Waikato Honey Products for exporting more than $1million over the last two years. This company has grown from small beginnings and adapted well to their changing environment to make the most of their opportunities.

Globalisation has had and will continue to have significant impact on our trading relationships and patterns. We need to have the marketing structures to make the most of the opportunities. Like our national sports bodies, we need to continue to bring our domestic industry structures into the real world. Rather than cast them in stone and protect their past, we need to future proof them.

I believe one of the few core roles of Government long term is to continue to work in the international arena at a diplomatic and political level to ensure that New Zealand's trading interests are progressed. The trend from bilateral to multilateral trade agreements will also continue. CER may be deepened to include more areas and broadened to include other countries.

Our involvement in the WTO, APEC, NAFTA, Cairns group and the like needs to continue. We are also working on freer trade arrangements in both North and South America, Asia and in other countries. China is also a huge potential market for the produce from our clean green paddocks and our beehives.

These negotiations will always be conducted at a political and diplomatic level. However we also know, and forestry is an example, that overseas investment also can give great benefits with overseas market access.

The bee industry is pro-active in seeking and maintaining export markets. The NBA and MAF have worked together on this. Last year the NBA provided funds for Jim Edwards who is the National Manager of International Animal Trade from MAF RA to travel to the Republic of Korea to maintain this as a major market for the export of live bees and queens and to the United States to advance the case for access to that market. In June this year as a follow up to this visit, MAF maintained pressure on the United States to get market access issues resolved.

The export of bee products has been doing well despite the high dollar and lower returns for other agricultural exports. The export of live bees has increased substantially, particularly packaged bees to Canada which is the major market for bees.

Pest Management

I know that it is also important for beekeepers to have protection from diseases which could severely hamper the industry.

American foulbrood (AFB) is a bee disease that affects hives. It is a disease that is not curable; once a hive is infected it will die.

In response to this your organisation (the NBA) has developed a National Pest Management Strategy (PMS) under the Biosecurity Act 1993. The PMS is seen as a tremendous opportunity rather than a threat to improve the current control programme of AFB.

The PMS was notified in the Gazette on Thursday 3 July 1997, notified in national newspapers on Saturday 5 July 1997, with submissions due to my office by 14 August 1997.

In my press release at the time I said that in setting a goal of eliminating American foulbrood through the use of a pest management strategy, the National Beekeepers' Association is taking a proactive step to control a disease of significance to its members. I applaud you for your initiative.

Along with you I am looking forward to finally having a formalised AFB control programme once the submission process has been completed.

Import Management Policy

A current major concern in the bee industry is the disease risk associated with the importation of bee products which have the potential to severely harm the bee industry. Nick Wallingford (NBA President) has voiced his concern that there is not an adequate risk analysis programme.

The current practice is that import standards are based on the risk analysis of each bee product imported. This risk analysis was carried out in 1994. It has been claimed that the risk analysis was not formalised and was created in an ad hoc manner. I understand this has been cause for major concern within the bee industry.

A review of this risk analysis has begun. Part of this review is to determine what exotic diseases could enter New Zealand. I understand you have heard from Jim Edwards and Barry O'Neil from MAF RA on the risks and safeguards associated with the importation of bee products earlier this week.

Several years ago there were concerns about the disease risks associated with the importation of Australian honey. The Australian beekeeping industry is affected by the European Foulbrood disease. Research funding has been allocated to determine whether any safeguards can be used in order to enable trade but keep European Foulbrood out of New Zealand. This disease is exotic to New Zealand and a small number of South Pacific nations but affects the rest of the world.

MAF recently received information from the NBA and beekeepers about imported pollen. As a result of this information, the importation of bulk pollen has been suspended and an intensive international investigation is being undertaken by the MAF Enforcement Unit.

However we must ensure that any restrictions in the name of disease control are scientifically based and not in the name of preventing competition.

Commodity Levies (Bee Products) Order 1996

The Commodity Levies (Bee Products) Order 1996 came into effect on 2 January 1997.

On 23 May 1997 the register of beekeepers was released to the NBA by MAF. The information released is a record of all beekeepers with more than 10 hives or more than 3 apiaries; these are the levy payers. The NBA will use the register in collecting the levy.

Although the implementation of the Commodity Levy (Bee Products) Order was a long and drawn out process, the NBA now has a firm basis to levy members and help progress your industry.

Size and role of Government

While Government has a specific role to play in your industry, my personal view is that the size and role of Government in general is still too big. From over 40% of GDP we have reduced Government as a proportion to about 34% of GDP. To me, below 20% is a better level, because after all, governments don't create wealth, they merely transfer it. Our fast growing Asian neighbours have a government sector of about 20% of GDP while some of our slow growing and indebted European friends are running government at levels over 50%.

Bigger Government doesn't bring a bigger economy, normally the opposite. Or perhaps put another way, we are better to have you building new beehives and putting bees in them than Government building beehives in Wellington and putting more politicians in it

Governments should keep out of your way and free you from needless constraints such as compliance and regulatory costs, so that you can get on with the job of creating the wealth we need to meet our social and environmental goals.

I also think we need to continue to free things up a bit to remain competitive. If we remain constrained we will fall behind. For example the 1991 Employment Contracts Act freed up the labour market in New Zealand and gave our productive sector the flexibility in labour arrangements to remain competitive. It didn't lower wage rates overall, but did give greater variation.

Conclusion

In conclusion Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to wish you well for a successful conference, and a successful year ahead. I would now like to officially declare the national Beekeepers Conference, open. Thank youNELSON

Special Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me to talk to you today to open your AGM. I know you have a pretty strong membership of 1200, which accounts for well over 90 percent of the hives in the country.

Your industry is important to New Zealand for several reasons.

Firstly, for the year ending January 1997, the honey crop was estimated at 8537 tonnes, of which 2771 tonnes were exported and valued at $11.2 million, up from $10.5m the previous year with a yield per hive of 29.5kgs.

Secondly, as well as exporting honey, there is also a thriving export of bees and thirdly, and probably most importantly, is the big contribution that your industry makes in terms of pollination and the impact on our other primary industries, such as horticulture and the pastoral sector.

While some may see the bee industry as small, your industry's contribution, both directly and indirectly to the economy is very large.

Today we live in an ever changing world which seams to be getting smaller every day. Advances in technology and the process of globalisation are continuing at pace.

In today's world, labour, capital and technology know no national boundaries. They simply shift to where they can be best utilised. The challenge for New Zealand and our export sectors in particular, is to make sure that we retain our competitiveness so that we can attract the capital and technology, use our labour, and increase our standards of living. Not only is this a discipline that we are going to have to get used to, but an opportunity and resource we are going to have to get better at tapping.

Globalisation and new technology are the drivers for the uncertainty and change of the future. They challenge our traditional thinking. We have to be able to adapt and respond quickly to these changes. I was interested to see your organisation using technology so that I was able to check into your homepage on the Internet, something that couldn't be done a few years ago.

For New Zealand, smaller niche industries such as your industry play an important part in our progress as a nation. While we may not be the biggest bee industry, we have to work hard to be the best.

I was delighted to recently present a Tradenz export commendation to Waikato Honey Products for exporting more than $1million over the last two years. This company has grown from small beginnings and adapted well to their changing environment to make the most of their opportunities.

Globalisation has had and will continue to have significant impact on our trading relationships and patterns. We need to have the marketing structures to make the most of the opportunities. Like our national sports bodies, we need to continue to bring our domestic industry structures into the real world. Rather than cast them in stone and protect their past, we need to future proof them.

I believe one of the few core roles of Government long term is to continue to work in the international arena at a diplomatic and political level to ensure that New Zealand's trading interests are progressed. The trend from bilateral to multilateral trade agreements will also continue. CER may be deepened to include more areas and broadened to include other countries.

Our involvement in the WTO, APEC, NAFTA, Cairns group and the like needs to continue. We are also working on freer trade arrangements in both North and South America, Asia and in other countries. China is also a huge potential market for the produce from our clean green paddocks and our beehives.

These negotiations will always be conducted at a political and diplomatic level. However we also know, and forestry is an example, that overseas investment also can give great benefits with overseas market access.

The bee industry is pro-active in seeking and maintaining export markets. The NBA and MAF have worked together on this. Last year the NBA provided funds for Jim Edwards who is the National Manager of International Animal Trade from MAF RA to travel to the Republic of Korea to maintain this as a major market for the export of live bees and queens and to the United States to advance the case for access to that market. In June this year as a follow up to this visit, MAF maintained pressure on the United States to get market access issues resolved.

The export of bee products has been doing well despite the high dollar and lower returns for other agricultural exports. The export of live bees has increased substantially, particularly packaged bees to Canada which is the major market for bees.

Pest Management

I know that it is also important for beekeepers to have protection from diseases which could severely hamper the industry.

American foulbrood (AFB) is a bee disease that affects hives. It is a disease that is not curable; once a hive is infected it will die.

In response to this your organisation (the NBA) has developed a National Pest Management Strategy (PMS) under the Biosecurity Act 1993. The PMS is seen as a tremendous opportunity rather than a threat to improve the current control programme of AFB.

The PMS was notified in the Gazette on Thursday 3 July 1997, notified in national newspapers on Saturday 5 July 1997, with submissions due to my office by 14 August 1997.

In my press release at the time I said that in setting a goal of eliminating American foulbrood through the use of a pest management strategy, the National Beekeepers' Association is taking a proactive step to control a disease of significance to its members. I applaud you for your initiative.

Along with you I am looking forward to finally having a formalised AFB control programme once the submission process has been completed.

Import Management Policy

A current major concern in the bee industry is the disease risk associated with the importation of bee products which have the potential to severely harm the bee industry. Nick Wallingford (NBA President) has voiced his concern that there is not an adequate risk analysis programme.

The current practice is that import standards are based on the risk analysis of each bee product imported. This risk analysis was carried out in 1994. It has been claimed that the risk analysis was not formalised and was created in an ad hoc manner. I understand this has been cause for major concern within the bee industry.

A review of this risk analysis has begun. Part of this review is to determine what exotic diseases could enter New Zealand. I understand you have heard from Jim Edwards and Barry O'Neil from MAF RA on the risks and safeguards associated with the importation of bee products earlier this week.

Several years ago there were concerns about the disease risks associated with the importation of Australian honey. The Australian beekeeping industry is affected by the European Foulbrood disease. Research funding has been allocated to determine whether any safeguards can be used in order to enable trade but keep European Foulbrood out of New Zealand. This disease is exotic to New Zealand and a small number of South Pacific nations but affects the rest of the world.

MAF recently received information from the NBA and beekeepers about imported pollen. As a result of this information, the importation of bulk pollen has been suspended and an intensive international investigation is being undertaken by the MAF Enforcement Unit.

However we must ensure that any restrictions in the name of disease control are scientifically based and not in the name of preventing competition.

Commodity Levies (Bee Products) Order 1996

The Commodity Levies (Bee Products) Order 1996 came into effect on 2 January 1997.

On 23 May 1997 the register of beekeepers was released to the NBA by MAF. The information released is a record of all beekeepers with more than 10 hives or more than 3 apiaries; these are the levy payers. The NBA will use the register in collecting the levy.

Although the implementation of the Commodity Levy (Bee Products) Order was a long and drawn out process, the NBA now has a firm basis to levy members and help progress your industry.

Size and role of Government

While Government has a specific role to play in your industry, my personal view is that the size and role of Government in general is still too big. From over 40% of GDP we have reduced Government as a proportion to about 34% of GDP. To me, below 20% is a better level, because after all, governments don't create wealth, they merely transfer it. Our fast growing Asian neighbours have a government sector of about 20% of GDP while some of our slow growing and indebted European friends are running government at levels over 50%.

Bigger Government doesn't bring a bigger economy, normally the opposite. Or perhaps put another way, we are better to have you building new beehives and putting bees in them than Government building beehives in Wellington and putting more politicians in it

Governments should keep out of your way and free you from needless constraints such as compliance and regulatory costs, so that you can get on with the job of creating the wealth we need to meet our social and environmental goals.

I also think we need to continue to free things up a bit to remain competitive. If we remain constrained we will fall behind. For example the 1991 Employment Contracts Act freed up the labour market in New Zealand and gave our productive sector the flexibility in labour arrangements to remain competitive. It didn't lower wage rates overall, but did give greater variation.

Conclusion

In conclusion Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to wish you well for a successful conference, and a successful year ahead. I would now like to officially declare the national Beekeepers Conference, open. Thank you