Unification of the bee industry under a single organisation has taken another step with the setting up of an interim governance board.
Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
The two beekeeper bodies and honey packers and exporters voted overwhelmingly at this year's apiculture conference to join forces.
John Harnell of Federated Farmers Bee Industry Group said the interim board would hold its first meeting in Wellington today to continue planning for a new industry organisation.
"Their job will be to establish the new structure, the rules, the constitution, how the industry sectors will work within the new structure, and how the focus groups, the important ones like standards and research and science etc...how those focus groups will operate within the new entity.
"And of course the question of what will be the future funding stream for our industry, how will we get those resources to put our money into good science and research. It will be a very busy next four months for that team."
The aim is to have a final unification proposal for the bee industry to vote on next year.
