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.

Mānuka Orchard's, Logan Bowyer, will be speaking at this year’s Fieldays Tent Talks on the topic: “The Future of Mānuka: Why the Best Years Are Ahead."

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.

Our time here at Apimondia 2025 is in full swing, and the Manuka Orchard team continues to work hard on the stand - meeting people, generating leads, and creating new opportunities for honey sales across a wide mix of countries.

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.