FEDERATED FARMERS BEES CHAIRMAN, JOHN HARTNELL

It is raining, bring it on!

Well it is hard to believe another year has gone by. Was it eventful... absolutely.

We have faced head on, the Tutin issue, Varroa in Canterbury, the American Foulbrood National Pest Management Strategy (AFB NPMS) ten year review, the Kiwi dollar and the dramatic fall of finance markets around the world, which has in turn, increased export returns for beekeepers as our interest rates and dollar returned to a more balanced level.

Adding to this list is the challenge of honey standards - a hot and controversial topic the industry must grapple with.  We must set quality and measure standards for our single source honey varieties.

At last, it is a dawning reality for the farming community that pollination is no longer free. The introduction of pollination contracts has flushed out new issues.  This includes cross contamination and pollen viability in the hive affecting the Small Seed Isolation Distance Programme (SCID) and small seed crop separation.

2009 is now on our doorstep, so I take this opportunity on behalf of your management committee and the team at Federated Farmers Christchurch and Wellington offices, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  May your drums be full and your market firm.

BOTANICA: The Buzz on Bees Butterflies Bugs and Botanics - Science Alive (in Christchurch), will be holding an exhibition on Botanica as part of the 20^th Anniversary celebrations for the Festival of Flowers. The exhibition will run for three months (Friday, 6 February until Monday, 4 May 2009). The Exhibition will showcase the science of flowers and plants.  It will also feature just how important plant pollination by bees, bugs, moths, butterflies and birds is to mankind.  The well-known entomologist, Ruud Kleinpaste, will give a lecture series on the bugworld. Linda Newstrom-Lloyd, from Landcare Research, will give lectures on the different pollinators and their method of delivery. Experts from the gardening industry will be there too.  The Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeeper Club will display a working beehive, with supporting displays on the importance of bees to the planet and how to keep them.  Every school in Canterbury is being invited to attend along with advertisements in the local papers. This should be a good opportunity to connect food with its origins, not just the supermarket shelf. This is just one of the things that will be happening with the support of the whole beekeeping industry. If you have suggestions and ideas that will help this exhibition, contact Trevor Corbett (03) 314 6836 or by visiting the Science Alive website. 

Pollination: The way ahead - with the arrival of Varroa in Canterbury, we must now look to the 2009 pollination season and the requirement to recover a portion of the costs associated with Varroa management through our pollination charges.  As a guide, North Island prices increased approximately $50 per hive when Varroa hit the pollination activities associated with Kiwi Fruit.  This should provide a good guide to the pollinators of small seed & black currents etc.

Honey prices - two key influences on the 2008/9 season.  First is the weather and potential for drought conditions on the East Coast.  Second, is the financial position of our export markets moving forward. A short crop should mean higher domestic prices. On the export front, early sales and prices quoted would indicate that market levels of 2007/8 can still be achieved, the resulting returns should be considerably higher to the producer because of the dramatic fall in the New Zealand dollar against our main trading currencies. However, a word of warning from international buyers, who are expressing concern specialty honey lines will be the first to go from the supermarket shelf, when financial turmoil hits. New Zealand honey is certainly in this category and we need to heed their concern. Remember to be an informed seller!

Tutin Submission - almost 100 submissions were received and after considerable consultation, the NZFSA has redrafted the Tutin Standard.  It is now in final consultation with the Bee Products Standards Council.  The final version appears to be a much more manageable tool than what was originally proposed. Also to be published is an information guide prepared by NZFSA to support the new standard, with outline requirements for every beekeeper. The Standard will come into effect on January 25^th 2009. This can be accessed by following this link.

Canola happenings, to spray or not to spray - during November a breakdown in communication led to a standoff between Bio-Diesel NZ and a number of Canterbury beekeepers. This is not a desired outcome and by working together, a way round the issue was found.  This is to allow the spraying of aphids at a time more suitable for pollinating hives in the area. Reports from South Canterbury also note the same challenges, however, better communication between parties achieved a suitable outcome.

No Bees, No Clover - The Rural News Newspaper carried an excellent article of the same title on 11 November. It correctly surmises that bees face two threats - disease and an often-uninformed public, such as where a pest exterminator was called in to deal with a swarm in Hamilton.  The full article can be read by following this link. 

European Parliament urges action to stop the decline in bee numbers - On 20 November, the European Parliament urged immediate action to tackle the drastic decline in bee colonies throughout the European Union (EU), as well as the rest of the world.  It warned the decline in bees posed a threat to food production. The Parliament adopted a resolution with an overwhelming majority, encouraging the creation of ecological recovery zones in parts of fields that are difficult to cultivate. The resolution called on the executive body of the EU to immediately step up further research into the causes of the decline and to make additional budgetary resources available for this research. Research was needed to establish if there is a link between the use of pesticides, such as thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, clothianidin and fipronil, on bee mortality. The Parliament also urged creation of a financial aid mechanism for beekeepers in difficulty. It also sought analysis of imported honey to detect the possible presence of American foulbrood.  The full article can be read by following this link. 

ERMA Approves GM Alliums field test - An application from Crop and Food Research to field test genetically modified vegetables of the allium family has been approved by ERMA. GM onions, spring onions, garlic and leeks will be field tested over ten years to study their agronomic performance in field conditions and to assess their environmental impact. A feature of the trial is that some of the onions will be allowed to flower and produce seed. Federated Farmers Bees supports the trial subject to stringent controls on all activities and most importantly, the flowering stock issue and containment.

Varroa news - While we can report no further infestations south of the Selwyn River, it is highly probable the mite has been transported as far as Waikari, Cheviot and possibly Kaikoura.  We also know hives have been shifted across the main divide. We encourage you to report your Varroa findings to Federated Farmers Christchurch office, so that Federated Farmers Bees can circulate this information to all beekeepers.  Forewarned is forearmed. Please assist by calling 0800 327 646, emailing any Varroa finds to canterbury@fedfarm.org.nz or by fax on 03 357 9451.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) - the debate continues but we know for sure that shifting hives long distances, to three or four different crops, exposes them to a variety of chemicals or sprays every year and it is not a recommended practise. Does this disorientate bees so badly that they lose the ability to find their way home?

West Coast (Gary Glasson) - The West Coast has had a good spring with hives looking good, with not much swarming to deal with and the kamahi starting to flower reasonably well. The weather has been a bit cold and wet and there are some areas that are barely feeding themselves. We have done all we can up to this point and the prospects for the season are anybody's guess. It does seem to be a season that will finish early with no rata as we have had some over the last two years and we don't get rata every year. We are still on the lookout for the varroa mite with none, thankfully, to be seen yet. Given the several truckloads of bees coming into the region over the last few weeks, it is just a matter of time. On a final note, I recently saw on the news that Great Britain is introducing carbon labelling on products. I wonder how good New Zealand's honey label would be?

Mid Canterbury (John Syme) - Bees generally came through the winter well (not washed away in the July/August rains) and with only reasonable losses. The September run to check for disease/feed supplies and to undertake general maintenance on hives went well; an average amount of sugar was fed to keep the bees bubbling along. October is queen rearing time and good weather helped as did fine weather during the entire time that the cells were put out, a pleasant change from some years! Mating has been generally good, but some areas report not such a good average.  The dry weather has carried on a little too long though and Canterbury is now looking towards a very hot dry summer so there could be a shortage of honey. Some beekeepers are already moving hives out onto mustard and Brassica crops, and soon carrots, radish and other small seeds will be requiring bees, so the long-long-long-days of summer will be here for beekeepers moving hives. An additional task this season has been the checks for Varroa, so far so good, but we know that time is limited on that front.

I recently attended the Federated Farmers National Council meeting in Wellington as the Federated Farmers Bees delegate, a very interesting experience. As the new boy, I tried not to have too much to say but did ask a question or two about pollination of one of the excellent speakers.  I was later approached by some of the delegates asking for more information.  They said they knew very little about bees and their role in the agricultural scene. The exchange of information between sectors is hugely important and something that can only be achieved through our partnership with Federated Farmers.

South Canterbury (Peter Symth) - we had one of the easiest beekeeping Springs ever this year. A good flow of dandelion kick started it off and then there were paddocks of Canola scattered around the district. Some hives closer to the crops have boxes of Canola honey. I took my sugar feed tank off the truck in mid November, a month earlier than normal, as hives had plenty of feed. The down side of this is that we are very dry and badly need rain to ensure a honey crop. The McKenzie Country is also very dry also. Merry Christmas to you all, and a prosperous New Year.

Your News - We would like to include news from provinces around the country. If you would like your area to be mentioned and you want to volunteer to write a brief blurb about beekeeping news in your province, please contact Shona Sluys at ssluys@fedfarm.org.nz or 0800 327 646.

Work time and logbooks update - As a result of the Federation's lobbying work with the Agricultural Transport Forum, tractors and agricultural vehicles (not trucks or ATVs), are to be exempt from the work time and logbook rules.  As a result of this decision, tractors and other agricultural vehicles of up to 18 tonnes (or 25 tonnes in combination) are to be driven on a class 1 (car) license, so long as they are driven at speeds not exceeding 30kph on road. As the work time rules do not apply to vehicles driven on a class 1 license, the effect of this change is to exempt tractors and agricultural vehicles from the work-time and logbooks rules.  Beekeepers need not fear.  Trucks driven on a class 1 or 2 license, which are used as part of your business (i.e. not for hire and reward) and are used within 50km of the vehicles normal base of operations, are already exempt from the work time and logbooks rules. For more info please contact William McGimpsey on 0800 327 646 or wmcgimpsey@fedfarm.org.nz

Tutin warning - a dry season creates ideal conditions for bees to gather Tutin honeydew so be extremely vigilant.  We cannot have a repeat of this autumn's mistake and our export future would be placed under jeopardy.

Beekeepers need to talk to local farmers - in times of change it is important that the beekeeping community makes a special effort to communicate with their farming colleagues. While most farmers have an understanding of Varroa, there are misunderstandings and a lack of knowledge when it comes to ongoing pollination.  This includes the loss of the feral bee population (the free pollinator) and that all pollination will be a chargeable activity going forward. We need to smooth the waters and provide good information - such as annual Varroa treatment costs as well as increases in labour and vehicle running to name a few.

Open Farm Day, 1^st March 2009 - Beekeeping has a great opportunity to be part of this Federated Farmers initiative, bringing the urban community back to the farm. The idea is to provide a better understanding of where our food comes from, not a jar or a bottle, but from a beehive or a cow for example. We will be calling on the beekeeping community to participate in this landmark day - we need your support.  Bees fascinate people and we need to tell the story of beekeeping. For more information please contact John Hartnell, 021 578754 or Shona Sluys ssluys@fedfarm.org.nz

Abandoned hives - Federated Farmers Bees wants to know if you have neglected or abandoned hives on your property. Managing bee disease is vital for the ongoing sustainability of beekeeping and pollination services. The American Foul Brood Pest Management Strategy requires that all beehives be registered and apiary details recorded on the national database. Please assist by calling 0800 327 646 or emailing details of any neglected or abandoned hives to canterbury@fedfarm.org.nz or by fax 03 357 9451.

American Foulbrood Submission Period Extended - The National Pest Management Strategy for American Foulbrood (AFB) submission period has now been extended to January 30 2009. Federated Farmers Bees will be submitting on this review. Members seeking to contribute can contact Shona Sluys, 0800 327 646 or John Hartnell, 03 349 5590 or make their own submission to MAF Biosecurity before 5pm on 30^th January 2009. Read the full MAF report on AFB Strategy here.

Conference 2009 - Federated Farmers Bees conference will be held in Hokitika at the Beachfront Hotel on 10 and 11 June, 2009. At the moment we will be looking to hold an "Organics Day" on 9 June, before the conference, in the same format as this year. More information will come closer to the date and we look forward to seeing you all there.

Canterbury Beekeepers Meeting - these meetings are held the last Tuesday of every month (February to November), at the Hornby Workingmen's Club in Christchurch. The next meeting will be held on February 24 at 7 pm. If you would like further details, please contact Ross McCusker (03) 314 4186, Trevor Corbett (03) 314 6836 or John Hartnell 021 578 754.

Your Notices - If you would like for your meeting notices or notices in general to be included in the BIG Picture, please contact Shona Sluys at ssluys@fedfarm.org.nz or 0800 327 646.

RECRUITMENT

Join up - Send a copy of the Federated Farmers Friday Flash to a non-member. If they join up as a full member, you will both receive $50. To join call 0800 327 646.

SHOP ONLINE

Farmers online - You can now purchase all your Federated Farmers of New Zealand contracts, agreements, books, branded clothing and even pay your 2009 membership subscription on Federated Farmers new online shop. Read more »

TRAINING

Essential estate planning tips - Learn how to grow and protect the farm asset in the present, and plan for the ultimate transfer of the farm business and associated assets to the next generation in the future. Federated Farmers of New Zealand and Guardian Trust are holding informative, question and answer style estate planning seminars to provide you with a valuable introduction to the topic from their experienced and knowledgeable estate planning experts. The cost to members is $40. To find out when there is one in your area or to register for a seminar in February or March call 0800 327 646 for time and locations nearest. Read more »

RURAL JOBS

Job stop - Looking for a job or trying to find someone then make the first stop a visit to Federated Farmers website.  You can both advertise for employees or see what is available. Read more »

The Country Channel - Sky has launched a new channel for the rural sector on channel 99. The Channel runs a six hour programme block daily and includes local and overseas material. The key local programme - Farmgate is scheduled to screen at the most appealing times for farmers, 7.30am, 1.30pm and 7.30pm. Farmgate includes daily segments on rural news and weather presented by Mark Leishman as well as a financial and market report and a rural newsmakers segment with Jon Stewart. Each week is a series of segments including: the Federated Farmers report, an extended weather outlook and The Bull Pen, where Phillipa Stevenson chews the cud with other rural journalists. The Country Channel website is updated daily and after being screened ‘Free to Air' in the month of October, it is now subject to a $14.50 per month subscription which is fully tax deductible for businesses.  To find out more follow this link.

Contact us - New members to Federated Farmers Bees are welcome. There are meetings and plenty of opportunities to participate in discussion groups. Join Federated Farmers Bees and have your say on the future of beekeeping in New Zealand.

If you have any questions or comments about matters in this newsletter, contact one of the team or Shona Sluys, ssluys@fedfarm.org.nz or 0800 327 646.