Liquid Gold

Liquid Gold

New Zealand manuka honey is a booming, $250 million a year export and some of the biggest celebrities in the world, including Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Novak Djokovic swear by it.

However, global researchers have definitively proven that Australian manuka honey is better for you – has higher antibacterial properties – than the more commonly known and purchased honey from New Zealand, due in large part to our warmer climate. Why does this matter? The higher the antibacterial properties, the better the honey works (manuka is commonly used for general health, stomach, and skin issues).

With an increase in demand from Asian consumers, hundreds of Aussie farmers are harvesting the rich nectar for maximum benefit which is potentially disastrous for the Kiwi Manuka industry.

What's more, it appears there are discrepancies between the volume of manuka honey produced in New Zealand and the volume exported to other markets. Official figures show that while only 1,700 tonnes of manuka are produced annually in all of New Zealand, the sale of NZ Manuka in the UK alone is 1,800 tonnes with an estimated 10,000 tonnes sold globally each year.

Additional History and Facts: 

History

A 1991 study from the Honey Research Unit in New Zealand showed that when you remove the hydrogen peroxide from a range of honeys, manuka was the only type that kept its ability to kill bacteria due to the presence of methylglyoxal (MGO), which has specific antimicrobial properties. 

Value

Manuka honey costs $80-$100 in Australia vs $400 in China

Medical grade manuka honey is valued at $1000 a kilogram, which would be one of New Zealand's highest priced exports

New Zealand's average export price is US$18/kg, whereas most of the other major honey exporters are earning only US$2-6/kg

In the last 10 years, New Zealand's export earnings from honey have grown by 23 per cent a year

Currently, total New Zealand honey exports are worth $242 million a year, of which manuka makes up about 80 per cent

Future Plans

The New Zealand government and a consortium of  companies have a target to reach $1.2 billion for manuka honey by 2028 

Counterfeiting 

According to New Zealand's leading manuka association, 1,800 tonnes of the honey are now consumed in the UK each year, however production of genuine manuka is set at just 1,700 tonnes