Most beekeepers think of the season as finished when the drums leave the yard. But mānuka honey doesn't work like that. It is one of the very few food products that keeps chemically changing after it's made, for years, at a rate set almost entirely by the conditions it's been kept.

They are saying that El Niño is back, and the forecasters (Earth Sciences New Zealand - the team formerly known as NIWA) officially declared El Niño conditions last month, as one to rival the five strongest events on record.

It's become a fixture on the honey calendar, and this year it was bigger than it's ever been. The Manuka Orchard Open Day was also the day we put a name to something we've been quietly building for the past five years - Project 2030.

Across the honey industry, production has been impacted by weather conditions. For many, this has meant a lighter harvest than previous years. But rather than seeing this as a setback, it’s worth stepping back and looking at what it signals more broadly - Because at the same time, buyer activity has strengthened.

This coming spring / early summer is shaping up to be largely favourable for honey production in the North Island, with warm temperatures, enough moisture, and (fingers crossed) a weak La Niña influence.

Logan, Tania and the kids, have touched down in Copenhagen, Denmark, for Apimondia 2025 - the world’s largest gathering of beekeepers, honey producers, scientists, and industry leaders.