New Zealand honey exports are soaring due to demand for high-value manuka honey, which is prized for its health benefits. The value of honey exports jumped to $27.4 million in November (up from $13.6 million the same month a year earlier), according to the latest Statistics New Zealand data. This helped to boost the annual value of honey exports in the 12 months through November by 45% to $281 million, the figures showed.
New Zealand is the world’s third-largest exporter of honey by value – its biggest honey markets are Australia, the UK, China and Hong Kong. Global import demand is estimated to be about NZ$3.1 billion and the largest growth opportunities for New Zealand exporters are in countries who are high consumers of honey, such as the US, Germany, France and other European countries.
While high volume markets tend to pay $21-$28 per kilogram, higher value markets will pay $30-$50/kg and medical grade manuka can fetch up to $1,000/kg.
