One of New Zealand’s largest Manuka beekeeping operations is seeking more landowners to partner with it and earn revenue based upon the value of the Manuka honey produced.  

“It is only right that owners receive a share of the value of the honey harvested from their land and by doing so, be encouraged to retain their Manuka blocks,” says Paul and Sheryl Steens of award-winning Steens Honey.

“We are seeking landowners who share our philosophies and ethical standards of producing high quality raw Manuka honey in harmony with nature.”

‘Hive Tracker’ technology accurately records the location and amount of honey harvested from each hive, providing owners with a report detailing the performance of hives on their land and a performance-based payment linked to the honey’s active properties.

Extensive monitoring

To maximise the active properties and value of the honey, Steens has an extensive monitoring and data programme which allows it to enhance timing and separation of floral types. This season the team has been bolstered with the appointment of a dedicated flower monitoring analyst available for assessment leading up to, and during, the season.

“And just as with livestock on pasture, the correct stocking rates for bees on Manuka is vital for honey production,” says Paul. Steens analyses Manuka blocks to determine the optimum stocking rates per hive which ensures hive placement maximises honey production.

In addition, Steens has developed an extraction process which removes 99 per cent of Manuka from the honey boxes, in effect harvesting up to eight per cent more than conventional techniques. This innovative thinking ensures that Steens’ land partners get more honey per hive on average than from other beekeeping companies.

Free to innovate

Steens Honey was founded by Paul and Sheryl Steens more than 35 years ago and is still owned and managed by the couple. Neither come from beekeeping families, something they say has been an advantage because in the process of learning the art of beekeeping, they were free to innovate rather than be hampered by tradition.

“Very early on we knew we wanted to produce quality natural honey which is raw, unpasteurised and minimally processed – the kind of honey we wanted our family to enjoy,” says Sheryl.

“That means our honey retains its natural crystals and rich flavour so eating it is like dipping your fingers directly into the honeycomb.”

Paul and Sheryl knew there was something special about Manuka honey back in the 1980s when it, and the trees from which it was produced, were considered of little value.

Export award

They were among a small number of beekeepers to work with bio-chemist Dr Peter Molan of the University of Waikato whose research revealed the unique properties of Manuka.

Steens Honey was one of the founding members of the Active Manuka Honey Association, now known as the UMF association. Today Paul and Sheryl continue to be a critical part of the Manuka honey industry in New Zealand and invest in continued scientific research, support and advisory to government.

The company’s innovations were recognised in June when Steens Honey won the ‘Innovation in Export’ Award sponsored by Page Macrae in the 2017 Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards.

Judges for the award say; “from thorough market research Steens Honey has translated innovations into digital stories that capture the minds of their consumers”. The judges were also impressed with the company’s track and trace capability which gives land owners peace of mind and end-consumers a deeper connection with their honey’s source.