Work to improve quality, quantity of honey output

Only 15 per cent of the honey in the PNG market is locally produced while the rest is imported, New Guinea Fruit Company director Sally Watson says.
Watson, whose Goroka-based company is the country’s biggest honey producer, said production was affected by high costs of equipment, challenges in accessing information about modern beekeeping practices and the recent increase in mite infestation.
She told visiting Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells on Thursday that with the support of Australia’s Market Development Fund (MDF), they were helping to revive beekeeping and improve honey production and value addition in the country.
“With MDF’s support we can create much stronger links with the beekeepers and through trainings improve the quality and quantity of honey being produced,” Watson said.
“We want to see high quality, locally made honey competing with imports on the shop shelves of Port Moresby and across the country.
“Nurturing and developing the producers here in the Highlands and attracting more people to start keeping bees to produce honey is crucial in achieving this,” she said.
Senator Fierravanti-Wells said supporting value addition initiatives was key to sustainable economic growth in Papua New Guinea.
“PNG has a wealth of high quality raw materials and it is encouraging to see businesses such as New Guinea Fruit Company innovating to supply honey to the local market.”