Interesting Facts About   Beekeeping

 

q       The first honey bees were brought to NZ by English missionaries.  The earliest record of a successful shipment was of two basket hives of bees which arrived in Northland in 1839.

 

q       In 1993, New Zealand had:

 

q       5,622 beekeepers

q       25,124 apiaries (sites where bees are kept)

q       298,982 beehives

 

q       As a safeguard against the introduction of exotic bee diseases and pests, the Apiaries Act restricts the importation of honey, bee products, used beekeeping appliances, and live bees.  Currently, MAF’s agricultural quarantine service seizes over 2000 containers of honey each year from passengers entering New Zealand.

 

q       Income produced from the NZ beekeeping industry in 1993:

q       Honey (Domestic)                 $27.8 million

q       Pollination Services                      $8.8 million

q       Honey (Export)                         $7.5 million

q       Live Bees                              $2.3 million

q       Beeswax                                  $1.1 million

q       Health Products                       $0.7 million

Total Income                 $48.2 million

 

 

q       Value of honey bee pollination to NZ primary production (1992 figures)

q       Replacement Nitrogen from Pollinated Pasture Legumes                    $1872.4 m

q       Fruit Crops                                                                                      $1004.8 m

q       Veges/Seeds                                                                                          $211.3 m

q       Beekeeping Industry                                                                                      $48.2 m

q       Total Annual Value = $3,088,500,00 or 64 times the value of beekeeping products and services.