Regional Honey Standards Development Workshop
‘Joining Hands’ - Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission (PITIC), and NCSMED joined forces in organising this workshop.
The Regional Honey Standards Development Workshop held at Rakiraki Hotel from the 15-17th of March, 2006 was a positive initiative in terms of getting started on the achieving appropriate quality honey standards for local and export markets. Representatives of the beekeeping and honey industries from Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu participated in the Regional Honey Standards Development Workshop. Senior staff from the University of the South Pacific (USP), Fiji Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce and Cooperatives and, the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission (PITIC) in Sydney also attended. The workshop, funded by the European Union through the Pacific Regional Economic Integration Programme (PACREIP), was addressed by Mr Peter Forau, Deputy Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). The opening statement by Hon. Tomasi Vuetilovoni, Minister for Commerce, Business Development and Investment was delivered on his behalf by Mr Savenaca Nacanaitaba, Chief Executive Officer, National Centre for Small and Micro-Enterprises Development (NCSMED) of Fiji. Technical resources for the workshop were provided by Mr Gavin McKenzie of McKenzie Beelines (Fiji) Ltd, Rakiraki whose services were made available through PITIC Sydney. PIFS collaborated with NCSMED and PITIC in organizing the workshop.
The workshop had as its theme, Towards Standardised Honey Production in the Pacific, whilst its objectives were as follows:
• To network and share experiences on honey production, processing, packaging and marketing;
• To introduce the concept of standardising honey production, processing, packaging and marketing and, discuss their associated benefits in enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s honey products; and,
• To consider the suitability and sustainability of introducing a set of standards that will guide the production, processing, packaging and marketing of honey that would be appropriate and relevant to the needs of the region.
Participants shared experiences on the present status of their country’s beekeeping and honey making industries, noting the high levels of local demand for honey, challenges faced and the diverse range of socio-economic benefits (low technology, limited land, simple skills, low set-up costs, quick returns on investment, rural employment for women and youth and environmentally sound) and health-related benefits that can be gained from sustainable beekeeping and honey making practices. They also noted the need to develop and adopt relevant standards to guide the entire processes involved in honey production in both the formal and informal sectors. In that regard, participants agreed that the following measures be undertaken as a priority:
a) Standards
i) That PIFS be requested to coordinate the development of standards (national/regional) for the production, processing, packaging and marketing of honey in the region, in consultation with the industry and in collaboration with academics and technical experts from USP, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and relevant line Ministries. International requirements such as those under CODEX, Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) and International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) will be used to guide work in this area.
ii) Specific assistance will be sought from PIFS for the benefit of beekeepers and honey producers, in accordance with the recent decision of the Regional Standards and Conformance Technical Officials Meeting that standards requirements in niche products/markets and organic products are areas which must be addressed in the Standards and Conformance infrastructure as part of the Regional Trade Facilitation Programme (RTFP).
iii) Assistance from USP and State Law Offices will be sought for the drafting, introduction and application of legislation, to enforce and monitor these standards.
b) Diseases
i) To address the possible threats of diseases to beekeeping and honey production in the region, assistance will be sought particularly from SPC in areas relating to disease surveys, disease testing and certification of freedom from diseases, among others. The enhancement of border protection and upgrading of quarantine facilities will assist in the region’s detection of exotic pests and diseases. Key institutions such as USP, PIFS, national/regional agricultural research authorities, industry and other relevant agencies are encouraged to contribute towards work in this area.
c) Education and Training
i) Awareness should be raised to highlight the value of honey bees in agricultural production through effective pollination of plants. This will be undertaken with both the private and public sectors to emphasise the major contribution of beekeeping to the region’s sustainable agriculture.
ii) In recognition of the apparent lack of awareness of both basic and best practices among stakeholders, appropriate training is to be conducted for existing and potential beekeepers throughout the region. It is noted here that such training will help stakeholders adhere to standards and legislation.
iii) In-country capacity building programmes should also be organized for institutions and individuals currently involved in beekeeping and honey production, to keep them abreast of emerging trends and recent developments associated with the global honey business.
iv) PIFS, in collaboration with the Forum Trade Offices, was requested to assist the industry in developing a basic manual on “starting and managing a beekeeping business”, which will also include quality standards and conformance and will be translated into relevant vernacular.
d) Regional Association
Participants agreed to form the Pacific Islands Apiculture Council (PIAC) to;
i) represent the entire region’s beekeeping- and honey-related industries and to act as a focal point for regional and in-country capacity building programmes.
ii) for further capacity building, including the strengthening of national associations, PIAC will link up with the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) and key agencies like the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE), ProInvest, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and relevant agencies through PIFS and other avenues.
e) Networking and Marketing
i) Participants also agreed to network with each other directly and through PIAC to enable information exchanges for the benefit of the region’s honey industry.
ii) Further linkages will be sought with the Forum and National Trade Offices as well as other public and private sector contacts to enhance the promotion of beehive products and generally advance the cause of honey. Awareness raising on key local and export market requirements will also be necessary.
PIFS commended the participants and Mr McKenzie for having achieved the workshop objectives. This laid the platform for the apiculture industry and their key stakeholders, including public servants and landowners to work in partnership towards standardising honey production in the region, which is in agreement with the goal of the Pacific Plan to deepen regional cooperation and integration.
f) Interim Committee of the new Pacific Islands Apiculture Council
President: Mr. Gavin Mackenzie (Fiji- Viti Levu)
Vice President: Mr. Andrew Cory (Niue)
Treasurer: Mr. Raymond Voigt (Samoa)
Secretary: Mr. Dove Sale
Committee: Mr. Tim Oliver (Niue)
Mr. Jay Hobson (Palau)
Mr. James Watson (PNG)
Mr. Bob Buster (Tonga)
Mr. Lynda Ross (Vanuatu)
Mr. Seru Kaumaitotoya (Fiji – Vanua Levu)
(Please see picture gallery for workshop pictures)