The Mānuka sector is renowned as a unique and highly sought-after variety of honey with exceptional medicinal and health properties. Underscoring this, Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF) has become the global standard for measuring honey's antibacterial strength. The industry invests in continual research and progressively improves cultivars that produce ever-higher UMF honey in larger quantities. Mānuka honey has proved popular with health-conscious consumers the world over; in addition to its nutritional value as a food, it is used in health formulations, as a healthy sweetener, and in beauty products.
New Zealand Mānuka Honey appeals to diverse export markets. The United States and China are our largest export partners, with the UK and German markets growing on the back of recently signed Free Trade Agreements. Annual Honey Exports from New Zealand were just over $400 million in 2023 or 4.7% of the $USD 8.5 billion global honey market1.
The market has seen some turbulence in recent years, following a period of strong production growth, which coincided with COVID supply disruptions and reduced consumer spending in China. Mānuka production has reduced significantly since this peak, with producers with a strong market presence looking to lead the way through this period of lower demand and pricing pressure.
An investment in Mānuka plantations brings the added benefit of multiple income streams. As a native species, Mānuka thrives in many parts of New Zealand and adds to our biodiversity. Mānuka is also eligible to receive NZUs (NZ carbon credits) in the Emissions Trading Scheme, providing investors with an additional income stream and helping New Zealand meet its 2030 Emissions reduction targets.
This dual benefit of financial gain and environmental stewardship makes Mānuka honey a compelling investment.
MyFarm offers investments in the development of Mānuka forests through a share farming agreement with Comvita, New Zealand's largest honey producer. Under the agreement, Comvita supplies its new generation Mānuka varieties, manages plantation development and provides apiary services. Investors receive an initial lease payment and a share of honey and carbon revenue as the plantation starts producing.
1 Ministry for Primary Industries. (2023). New Zealand Honey Exports. Retrieved from https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/42360/direct.
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