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Buzzwords is the monthly newsletter of the National Beekeepers
Association of New Zealand. It contains, often, articles that
are of only local interest. It often has other articles that
give insight into current practices and politics of NZ
beekeeping. If you have any questions about any matters
contained in it, feel free to contact me.
Nick Wallingford [log in to unmask]
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BUZZWORDS ISSUE 57, OCTOBER 1993
FROM THE PRESIDENT
A strong national AFB disease control programme has been an
important requirement for our industry for many years now. NBA
members will therefore be pleased to learn that the executive has
signed a $100,000 AFB disease control contract with the MAF for
the 1993/94 year (see following article for more details).
Future disease control programmes are also a priority, of course.
The Endemic Pest Management Strategy Committee (previously the
Disease Control Committee) will be continuing its work under the
able chairmanship of Terry Gavin, Whangarei. This is the
committee which recently prepared the AFB Control Plan for the
NBA. Our thanks to Ian Berry, who chaired the Disease Control
Committee from its beginnings to the presentation of the plan at
this year's annual conference. A major job for the committee now
is to prepare the way for adoption of an AFB 'pest management
strategy' under provisions of the new Biosecurity Act.
At our September executive meeting we were disappointed to learn
that following a review of their activities, the Pork Industry
Board has decided to cease providing services to our association,
as of 31 December 1993. The board has been the administrative
centre of our association for the last 20 years and we have
benefited greatly from the close relationship we have had.
Members will recall the significant contributions that previous
Executive Secretaries Graham Beard, Len Jones, and David Dobson
made to the NBA, and the current incumbent, Steuart Goodman, and
his hard-working assistant, Olive Hebron, have continued in that
fine tradition. The Pork Industry Board has built up a great
deal of background information on our industry and membership
over the years which will be very difficult to replace.
Steuart and Olive have complied a description of the services
provided by the board which should assist the executive in
seeking alternative administrative arrangements. Past presidents
Ian Berry, Allen McCaw, and Dudley Ward are also providing
suggestions. Provision of administration services is one of the
issues to be discussed at a special executive meeting to be held
in Wellington on October 5. The 1994 budget and 1994 hive levy
will also be considered. Frances Trewby, President
AFB CONTRACT SIGNED
The 1993/94 American foulbrood programme contract between the NBA
and MAF Quality Management was signed on 13 September, following
the September meeting of the executive. Earlier in the month, an
advisory committee to the executive, made up of members from both
the executive and the Disease Control Committee, had recommended
that MAF's July 12 proposal be adopted by executive.
The contract, which had been under consideration since the annual
conference in July, is for $100,000, a 17% reduction in
expenditure over the previous year's contract. Executive had
previously decided on the lower expenditure figure for this year
during its April executive meeting.
The $100,000 figure will result in 3.9% of the nation's apiaries
being inspected by MAF personnel, down from the 1992/93 figure of
4.2%. However, the percentage reduction in inspections is
significantly less than the total expenditure reduction, and
reflects significant cost savings which hopefully can be made by
MAF Quality Management. According to Cliff Van Eaton, MAF's
manager for the AFB control contract, this year's programme is
based on a detailed budget and incorporates cost savings in the
areas of beekeeper contractors, the use of more trained MAF
personnel to reduce unproductive travelling time, and the
streamlining of NBA inspection list preparation.
Significant new features of this year's contract also include the
auditing by MAF of 2% of apiaries inspected during diseaseathons,
the notification of robbed out AFB hives to beekeepers with
apiaries in the surrounding area, and the use of a formalised
reporting procedure for any complaints received relating to
inspections carried out under the programme.
MARKETING LEVY CONCERN
The minutes of the September meeting of the executive record the
following item:
'In considering the 1994 financial requirements for marketing, a
proposal that the levy for marketing be struck at 35 cents for
1994 lapsed for the want of a seconder, following which the
executive agreed that the marketing levy for 1994 be set at 30
cents. The President (Frances Trewby) and Vice-President
(Richard Bensemann) requested their votes against the proposal to
be recorded. The Executive Secretary was requested to ascertain
from the Marketing Committee their proposals for expenditure in
line wit h the reduced income proposed.' (Note: executive member
Gerard Martin was not present at the time.)
The Marketing Committee is due to meet on September 24 in
Christchurch, and this decision will be considered in line with
our continuing efforts to implement the NBA Marketing Plan.
Quite obviously, our 'proposals for expenditure' will have to be
considerably reduced as a result of this 40% cutback in available
income for 1994.
This reduction will have a big effect - we will be able to
achieve less, and it will take longer to get the results the
industry is asking for. Based on the 1993 levy of 50 cents per
hive, the Marketing Committee has already undertaken a number of
initiatives in establishing quality standards, product
diversification and product promotion.
The need for progress in these areas has been obvious for some
time, and was clearly identified in the Marketing Plan. That our
progress obviously enjoyed the support of the majority of NBA
members was evidenced by the positive response to the
establishment of the marketing levy at the 1992 Conference, and
the added support for the Marketing Plan at the 1993 Conference.
Executive, however, have now moved to reduce the financial
support for this programme and therefore the marketing effort
which can be made on behalf of the industry. The Marketing
Committee firmly believes that this decision will not do anything
to increase the profitability of our industry. We believe it
may, in fact, have the opposite effect for many beekeepers.
It is the Marketing Committee's belief that one of the best ways
to increase beekeeper profitability is to explore new and more
profitable markets for their products. To do this, beekeepers
need a marketing organisation which enjoys the support of the
industry and the executive. The marketing organisation also
needs to be adequately funded to have at least a fair chance of
achieving results.
Some of the most innovative ideas in honey market development
have come from individuals and small companies who have sought
alternatives to chasing a house brand or bulk export market.
Sadly, we believe it is this sector of our industry which will
suffer most from any cutbacks in the marketing effort. The
cutbacks would likely have a lesser effect on the larger
companies because they are better able to provide for most of
their own marketing requirements.
Nevertheless, we believe the Marketing Plan will help the entire
industry. The whole thrust of the plan is to encourage
innovation and improve the consumer environment for our products,
with the emphasis being on quality and product enhancement.
Everyone in the industry, large or small, stands to gain from
such a coordinated promotional effort.
A further aim of the committee is to establish alternative means
of funding for the industry's marketing projects. We plan to
eventually move away from a producer-based levy system and move
towards funding support based on the products concerned. The
Commodities Levy Act takes over in 1996 and we need to be
prepared for this major change well in advance if we wish to
progress towards our marketing goals for the future.
If you believe these aims are worth pursuing and that full
financial support for the Marketing Plan should continue, make
your views known by writing to the NBA head office or by
contacting your nearest executive member. A special executive
meeting will be held on October 5 during which next year's budget
for the Marketing Plan will be considered. Make sure your
opinion is also considered.
Alan McCaw, Marketing Committee Chairman
FROM THE BRANCHES
The Hawkes Bay branch will be holding an open day at the branch
apiary, Pakowhai Country Park, on Saturday, October 2, beginning
at 10 am. Pakowhai Park is west of the motorway, just on the
Hastings side of the Ngaruroro River bridge. All local
registered hive owners have been invited to join in this
'beekeeping expose'. Hives will be opened for inspection,
committee members will be describing various beekeeping
techniques, and a variety of equipment will be on display. There
will also be a sales tabl e and raffles. The object, according
to branch secretary Ron Morison, is to give as many hobbyists as
possible the chance to meet with branch members, to encourage
membership in our association, and to give new beekeepers in
particular a chance to talk to those with more experience.
The Hawkes Bay branch is also hoping to run another beginners'
beekeeping course at their local Polytech. According to Ron, 'we
have the venue, we have the tutor, all we need now is some
beginners willing to learn.' If you're interested, you can
contact Ron by phone on (06) 844 9493.
The Southern North Island branch will be holding their spring
field day on Saturday, October 2, at Ken and Louise Fleming's,
State Highway 1, Pekapeka (between Otaki and Waikanae). The
venue will be signposted on the main highway. Topics include
'when to spray (dead bees don't pollinate)' and pollination
techniques. The field day begins at 10 am and finishes at
approximately 3.30 pm.
The Auckland branch will be holding a spring field day at Dave
and Lorna Young's residence, Drury Hill Road, on Sunday, October
17, beginning at 10 am. Directions are as follows: turn east at
the Drury roundabout onto Waihoehoe Road. At the end of the
road, turn right onto Drury Hill Road. Dave's honey house and
orchid nursery is on the right. According to Nigel Birse, the
branch president, people can either bring their own lunch or
decide to 'suffer Rob's barbecue cooking'. The programme
includes sessions on the renewed interest in Carniolan bees, royal jelly
production, propolis production, and pollen cleansing and traps.
There will also be on display one of the country's top orchid
hybridising concerns.
Just a note to branch secretaries: we're keen to include notice
of your branch meetings and other events in Buzzwords. But
remember, we need notification at least a month in advance,
particularly if the event falls after the 20th of the month. We
try to ensure readers receive their copies as soon after the
first of the month as possible, but we can't get the issue out
any earlier to accommodate notice of those end-of-the month
meetings.
FROM THE MARKETING COMMITTEE
Lately, almost everyone I've had conversations with in the
beekeeping industry has been asking me the same two questions.
The first - when does all the brouhaha and publicity about honey
get under way? And the second - how the heck are we going to
combat house brands; they're knocking the profit right out of
honey sales?
I touched on the answer to the first question in last month's
issue of Buzzwords. The gist of it is, 'there ain't no use
bursting into song until you've got something to sing about.' In
the case of the honey industry, that means we have to get our act
together on a national quality standard and quality mark before
we start touting our wares.
Recently I received a copy of the Australian Honey Standards (see
Buzzwords 56). It's obvious that a large amount of time (and I
think cost!) has gone into their standards and they are both
very, very comprehensive and very, very good.
Make no bones about it, the Australians certainly believe they've
gotten their act together (and they have). They also believe
that their competitors (and I think they include NZ in the list),
haven't. We're now going to look like we're copying them. The
only good news is that the NBA Marketing Committee's intention to
introduce a national standard and set of codes of practice has
been public for many months now. Nevertheless, I've no doubt
that the Aussies will still believe we're copying them.
But what about house brands? The latest copy of Marketing
Magazine has a very good article on house brands. Honey,
unfortunately, has been given some publicity in the magazine
since it is one of the fifteen top categories, in terms of house
brand activity, in supermarkets.
House brands can perhaps be likened to (if we use the words of
Marketing Magazine), a 'vulture' which preys on the efforts of
other brands. According to the magazine, house brands only work
where products are undifferentiated. In other words, for such
products it makes very little difference to the consumer whether
they buy the branded label or the supermarket's house brand.
So house brands are a symptom or result of lack of marketing.
And that certainly applies in the case of honey, because as has
been said now for a number of years, the honey industry has done
very little, as an industry, to prove to consumers that our
products are more than 'just honey'.
Until we, as an industry, get our act together, until we set
standards that enable professional and entrepreneurial packers to
create their own unique honey products, then we will continue to
get picked off by the house brand mechanism.
Those in the industry with the most to fear, of course, are the
smaller beekeepers and packers. The larger companies should
survive, but when they and the house brands compete, there will
be no prizes for guessing who will get stomped on in the process.
I mention this because I think its worth noting that major NZ
honey companies have put a lot of time and effort into making
sure that the industry does have a marketing plan and creates
opportunities for the small as well as the big. That willingness
by the large to work for the benefit of both themselves and the
smaller players in the industry, I think augers well for everyone
in beekeeping.
That's all for this month; but the Buzz WORD for the month is
'Chromium'. I'll tell you why in next month's Buzzwords.
Bill Floyd, Honey Marketing Committee
CLEMENTS ISO'D
We received a cryptic fax the other day from Waikato Honey
Products, which is owned by Bryan Clements, president of the
Waikato branch. There was no covering sheet, just a copy of his
company's Telarc certificate of ISO 9002 registration
(registration number 351), dated September 14.
As we reported in Buzzwords 55, Bryan and his company decided
last year to undertake the programme necessary to achieve ISO
accreditation. Speaking at this year's conference seminar, Bryan
commented that although it was a process which required a great
deal of soul searching, it was worth it in terms of improved
efficiencies and the new business (as an accredited supplier) his
company is likely to gain.
Bryan's message at that seminar was 'if I can do it, so can you.'
Well, now it looks like he has. Congratulations to Bryan and all
the other employees at Waikato Honey Products. Now lets see who
will be the next one in the industry to send us an ISO 9002
certificate by fax.
UNPAID HIVE LEVIES
Currently there are a number of beekeepers who have either not
paid, or have not made arrangements to pay, their 1993 hive levy.
While these non-payers have been give ample time to make such
arrangements, in many cases they haven't even acknowledged
letters from the executive offering assistance. As you can
imagine, the vast majority of members who have fulfilled this
important obligation have quite frankly 'had it' with those who
still haven't paid. Noting this displeasure, your executive has
therefore undertaken to collect from these non-payers, if for no
other reason than to lessen the load on those who are abiding by
the law.
The executive has sought legal opinion on the various reasons
members have given for why they are not liable to pay, and we now
feel quite confident that in all cases we will win if the matter
goes to court. The executive has no qualms about taking the
matter further if required. We are confident that we have the
support of the industry in this regard.
Beekeepers who still haven't paid their hive levy because of the
costs involved should realise that the price certainly won't be
reduced by waiting any longer. Once the matter is put into the
hands of the association's solicitors, non-payers might expect to
foot a bill for legal fees as well.
Your executive is also in the process of investigating several
cases of beekeepers who are believed to have under-declared hive
numbers. Beekeepers should be aware that this is a fraudulent
activity under the terms of the Hive Levy Act, and we will be
pursuing these cases with the help of our lawyers.
If you know of anyone who is a non-payer or under-declarer,
please contact a member of the executive. You'll be helping us,
and because more people will be paying what they owe, you'll also
be helping yourself. Remember, only if everyone pays will the
system once again be fair.
And to non-payers, the message is simple: you have two options -
either pay up, or face the legal consequences.
Richard Bensemann and Mervyn Cloake, NBA Executive
NEW TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT
The September meeting of the NBA Executive confirmed the
appointment of Ian Berry, Havelock North, as a trustee on the
Honey Industry Trust. Ian replaces his brother, Russell Berry,
Waiotapu, as North Island industry representative on the trust.
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