$3,700-a-jar honey is hurting NZ beekeepers

$3,700-a-jar honey is hurting NZ beekeepers
Many of those giving up are newcomers who jumped in when the prices were high. (Image: Getty)
Bloomberg
By Ainslie ThomsonIt sells for more than $3,700 a jar at Harrods in London, with the price pushed higher by the kind of superfood branding and celebrity endorsements that turn a simple kitchen staple into a luxury product. Demand for mānuka honey, produced only by bees that pollinate mānuka bushes, surged during the pandemic as buyers around the world searched for elixirs to keep them healthy. The high prices it commanded pushed many to try their hand at beekeeping as a side hustle.But now, in a classic boom and bust tale, there’s an...

More Primary Sector

Less than 10% of Provincial Growth Fund loans repaid
Primary Sector

Less than 10% of Provincial Growth Fund loans repaid

Of nearly $366m paid out in loans, just over $34m has been repaid.

Michael Neilson 04 Nov 2025
Mammoth application for Santana gold mine
Primary Sector

Mammoth application for Santana gold mine

A 9,400-page submission targets what is said to be NZ's largest gold find in 40 years.

Pattrick Smellie 03 Nov 2025
Rising volumes push Port of Tauranga profit outlook higher
Primary Sector

Rising volumes push Port of Tauranga profit outlook higher

Port of Tauranga expects its full-year net profit after tax to fall somewhere between $137 million and $147m.The NZX-listed port company’s container volumes increased 9% to 319,649 TEUs in the first three months to Sept 30.Total trade increased 5.9% in volume compared to the same...

Staff reporters 31 Oct 2025