Notification of the American Foulbrood Beekeeper Levy for 2025/26 to remain the same
Pursuant to clause 12 of the Biosecurity (American Foulbrood – Beekeeper Levy) Order 2003, notice is hereby given that for the 2025/26 levy year, the rates of the beekeeper and colony levies will remain the same, at: :
- $40 per beekeeper for the base levy; plus
- $1.95 per colony owned by the beekeeper as at 31 March 2025.
The Management Agency would like to thank submitters for their feedback on the proposed budget for 2025/26.
A total of 93 submissions were received for the levy rate consultation held between 9 September and 6 October 2024.
The majority of submissions recognised The Management Agency’s efforts at engaging with beekeepers over the past 12 months. Many submitters also provided valuable ideas and suggestions for continuing to promote education on bee husbandry practices, information-sharing on key AFB metrics, and the need for clarity on The Management Agency’s procedures when using new tools. The Management Agency has taken this feedback on board and will look to implement these ideas over the coming year.
The Management Agency’s final decision
Having considered the submissions, The Management Agency has decided to retain the rate of levy for 2025/26 at $40 ($46 including GST) per beekeeper and $1.95 ($2.24 including GST) per colony.
The reasons for this decision are:
- Over 61% of submitters agreed that the rate of levy for 2025/26 should remain the same.
- The Management Agency’s acknowledgment of the challenging economic environment many beekeepers are continuing to face.
- Despite increased AFB risk from abandoned apiaries and the restraint on operational expenditure, The Management Agency considers the notified rate of levy will provide sufficient funding in continuing to support New Zealand beekeepers in their collective effort to reduce the incidence of AFB and progress towards elimination.
The analysis of submissions can be found in the documents here:
2025_26 levy Consultation Findings Report
A copy of all submissions received can be found HERE
2025/26 Levy proposal documents can be found HERE.
Videos
Our videos cover everything from your legal obligations to how to recognise AFB, collecting cell and bee samples and more.
Symptoms
There’s a lot of good information here, telling you everything you need to know about recognising AFB: the visual symptoms, smell of AFB and more.
Inspection and Diagnosis
Successfully eliminate AFB by telling the difference between symptoms of AFB and other brood diseases in the hive. We tell you the best methods for inspecting your hives.
The Law
New Zealand beekeepers have a number of legal obligations that must be met regarding AFB disease. Read the shortened list in summary, here.
Elimination
Most hives become infected because bees, honey or equipment have been put into a hive from another hive that is infected with AFB. Lower your chances of an AFB infection by reading this section.
AFB Recognition Course Info
Find out when the next AFB Recognition and Competency Courses, or Refresher Courses are available. These are held throughout the year in various New Zealand locations across the South Island and North Island.
The AFB App
Follow the link below to open the App. Once open to save to your device you need to bookmark the URL on your phone so you can find it easily again. Please click here to open.