American Foulbrood 2025/26 Levy Consultation

The Management Agency is currently undertaking consultation with New Zealand beekeepers on a proposal for the American Foulbrood Beekeeper Levy for 2025/26 to remain the same at $40 per beekeeper and $1.95 per colony.

In 2023, the American Foulbrood Beekeeper Levy was set at $40 ($46 including GST) per beekeeper and the per bee colony levy was increased from $1.70 to $1.95 ($2.24 including GST).  Since September 2023, the following cost-savings initiatives have been undertaken:

• • Re-prioritising funding from honey surveillance to targeted apiary inspections.
  • Closing the Wellington office that was shared with Apiculture New Zealand.
  • A reduction in postage costs, associated with the New Zealand Beekeeper magazine which is now available online.
  • Reducing the number of in-person Board meetings and trialling more frequent virtual meetings.

The budget has been reprioritised to focus on areas of demand and utilise underspends to lay a foundation of the AFB NPMP Change Programme. This programme will provide a framework for the implementation of the new NPMP, coming force in mid-2025. The re-prioritised budget for 2025/26 includes:

• • Continual improvements to HiveHub functionality for ease of beekeeper administration and additional features for Authorised Person inspection records.

• • Investing in HiveHub cybersecurity assessments and remedial works.

• • Developing an AFB Recognition course for commercial beekeepers and their employees.

• • Training and upskilling our frontline staff (AFB Recognition Trainers and Authorised Persons).

• • Greater engagement with beekeepers through beekeeping club visits and in-person meetings with both commercial and hobbyist beekeepers.

• • Phased implementation of updates to the Disease Elimination Conformity Agreement (DECA).

• • Following up on severe breaches and non-compliances of the AFB NPMP with relevant authorities.

The Management Agency is seeking beekeepers’ views on the proposed levy and budget for 2025/26. Consultation on the 2025/26 budget will open on 09 September 2024 and will close on Sunday 5pm 06 October 2024.

Consultation on the 2025/26 levy is open until 5pm Sunday 6 October 2024. Beekeepers will receive the levy proposal via email, or post if they do not have an email address, from 09 September 2024 and can share their views either by:

• completing the online submission form, or

• posting a submission form to The Management Agency, PO Box 88 Rolleston, 7643.

For more information, email us at [email protected].

Once consultation has closed, The Management Agency will consider all feedback and notify beekeepers of the outcome in November 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

As the Management Agency is funded solely by beekeeper levies, it’s essential that all beekeepers make their contribution. To help all beekeepers understand the process, we have put together a list of frequently asked questions.

How is the AFB levy calculated?
The rate of levy is currently $40 ($46 including GST) per beekeeper and $1.95 ($2.24 including GST) per bee colony owned by each beekeeper, as at 31 March.

When are levies collected? What are levies used for?
The collection period runs from 1 April to 1 June each year.

The levy is essential for maintaining effective apiary inspections, monitoring compliance with AFB NPMP rules, communication & engagement with beekeepers, and support services against the American Foulbrood disease.

Why is the colony levy the same for hobby and commercial beekeepers?
The colony levy is applied per colony. You only pay for the number of colonies you own.

What is a bee colony?
A bee colony is an active/living group of bees. Usually, but not always, containing a Queen and worker honeybees.  A bee colony includes nucleus hives and active/living bee hives.

How can I ensure that I am correctly levied?
Our levy invoices are generated using the information in HiveHub, as at 31 March.  Ensuring your apiary information is correct by this date will ensure your invoice is correctly calculated.  The Management Agency provides a heads-up about the need to update HiveHub every year from March.

Always check your contact details have not changed, as we also send levy invoice reminders via email, text, and post.

I don’t use HiveHub. How will I receive my levy invoice?
If you have your communication preference set to “mail”, you will be posted a copy of your levy invoice as well as your Annual Disease Return and Colony Return.  If you aren’t certain what your preference is, please contact an Apiary Coordinator ([email protected] or phone 0800 232 767) to discuss what would suit you best.

I don’t have any live colonies at the moment, do I need to pay this AFB levy invoice?
Beekeepers that did not have a live honeybee colony on 31 March but still have a registered apiary (ie they are a registered beekeeper) are required to pay the $40 base levy plus GST. Apiary sites must be registered if they have one or more beehives located on them, irrespective of whether those beehives contain live or dead colonies. 

How do I deregister as a beekeeper? Can I register again in future?
Beekeepers without any live colonies that wish to cancel their beekeeper registration must remove any deadout beehives from the apiary site and place it into storage, prior to deregistering the apiary.

If you wish to cancel you beekeeper registration, please click here.

Once you get live colonies again, you can give us a ring or email [email protected] to reactivate your beekeeper registration again, your beekeeper registration number will always belong to you.

Why can’t I manage AFB myself?
During the 2021 – 2022 AFB NPMP consultation, most beekeeper submissions were in favour of the NPMP remaining in place and that The Management Agency continue to support beekeepers in their fight against AFB.

Under a ‘no control’ or a ‘no NPMP’ approach, the beekeeping industry is forecasted to lose $70 million of income due to AFB over a ten-year period. Beekeeper non-compliance with the NPMP poses the highest risk of AFB spreading. Please refer to page 16 of the NPMP Proposal for the ‘no control’ approach forecasting

Financial hardship
I’m not going to be able to pay my invoice by 1 June, what should I do?
The Management Agency is aware of the tough economic climate and the challenges being faced by many beekeepers. We offer payment plans to beekeepers who are unable to pay their invoice in full by the due date.

For this to happen, we need those beekeepers to contact us as soon as possible (preferably early during the levy period) to organise a payment plan.  We can work with you to get the invoice paid off over several months and avoid late penalties being applied.