Post on 30-Aug-2020
transcript
High Performance Manuka Plantations
Manuka Research Partnership Ltd – PGP Project
$2.7 M Manuka Plantation PGP Research Project with Ministry of Primary Industries
8 Year Timeline - 2011 to 2018
Massey University – Research Provider
Comvita providing Manuka Plants to the Project from its Plant Breeding Program
Program Objectives
To develop the necessary Manuka Plantation husbandry knowledge to enable productivity gains resulting in a 16-fold increase in market returns from Manuka honey by doubling each of:
Hives per ha
Manuka honey yield per hive
Manuka honey that meets medical grade
Land area in Manuka economically accessible to beekeepers
Net effect $1b Exports
The MRPL Co-investors
Comvita New Zealand Ltd
23,000 + hives, brand and distribution, ≈$100 M turnover
D and C Tweeddale
19,000+ hives ~ 60 Ha of Manuka plantation over 2 sites
Nukuhau Carbon Ltd
26 Ha planted at Rangitatau West
Arborex Industries – Te Awaiti station, Wairarapa
Landcorp
State Owned Enterprise operating 137 properties totalling 377,000 ha across the North and South Islands of NZ
The MRPL Co-investors
Hawkes Bay Regional Council
150 ha planted at Lake Tutira
Seeking to prove Manuka plantation as viable investment to encourage an alternative land use option
New Partner who has agreed in principle to join:
Te Tumu Paeroa
100,000 ha approx under Management
Including 30,000ha approx of marginal land
Manuka Plantation Deliverables for Land Owners
• Best Practice Seedling Propagation • Best Practice Plantation Establishment
• Assess Manuka Provenance & Hybrid Performance
• Build Flowering & Production Profile & Parameters
• Prove Financial Business Case to retire Marginal Land
• WORK IN PROGRESS – 4 YEAR REMAINING TIMELINE
Sample of Current Projects
1. Glasshouse & growth chamber studies on Manuka cultivars to examine influence of environmental factors on performance
2. Commercial field trials to understand best practice plantation establishment & management
3. Develop predictive tools to advise most suitable cultivars and best practice husbandry under particular plantation conditions
Programme so far > 2011-2013
From glasshouse
& plantations:
Major soil effects
Cultivar effects
Aspect and local effects
Variability creates
opportunity
Assess variability & exploit
Site 1 DHA in nectar
Early plantation success
Plantation manuka Plantation manuka theoretical harvest Local manuka 2012 Local manuka historical
Hives on ordinary site
Pasture
Pasture Kanuka
Kanuka Kanuka
Manuka
Mixed Manuka & Kanuka
Improved cultivars, extend flowering, increase value
Commercial Field Trials
Current Sites
30 sites totalling 745ha including 596ha Comvita Plantations
Sites targeted to provide a regional and environmental spread of field data
Intend Plantations to provide a showcase to regions >>> encouraging faster uptake
Map of Expanded PGP Field Trial Sites
Current Modelling
• Establishment costs of approximately $2,000 per ha
• Planting density of 1,100 stems per Ha (3m * 3m
spacings)
• 25 Year production life
• Floral Maturity in 6 years
Establishment at Tutira (HBRC)
• Summer-dry
• Exposed
• Range of seed
lines examined
• 1000 stems/ha
• 156ha
established
Establishment at Tutira (HBRC)
• Survival
95% in good summer
85% in bad summer
• Growth (height) ≈ 80cm 1st year ≈ 130cm 2nd year
• Flowering ≈ 100% for most
lines in 2nd year
Comvita Manuka Breeding Program
Commenced in 2006
Plant Variety Rights registered on Hybrids
Breeding of 2nd Generation Hybrids
underway
Manuka seedlings provided to MRPL
project which are being evaluated in
Glasshouse & Field Trials
A contrast, wild vs improved Manuka
Integrated Plantation & Apiary Management
Manuka plantation performance > 1st Leg
Conversion of nectar into honey > 2nd Leg
Understanding/optimising apiary performance > critical to value
Proving the Business Case is When “The Rubber Hits the Road”
KEY VARIABLES [AT MATURITY]NATURAL
MANUKA
WORSE
CASE? MID-CASE? BEST CASE?
HIVES PER HA 1.0 1.0 1.5 2.0
PRODUCTION PER HIVE (KG) 20 30 35 40
UMF HONEY VALUE PER KG $15.00 $20.00 $30.00 $40.00
APIARY REVENUE PER HA $300.00 $600.00 $1,575.00 $3,200.00
LANDOWNER REVENUE SHARE 15% 30% 30% 30%
LANDOWNER INCOME PER HA ** 45$ 180$ 473$ 960$
LANDOWNER INVESTMENT RETURN (MARGINAL IRR)??? 4.60% 16.70% 29.30%
PLANTATION MANUKA
• MRPL project is work in progress – 2018 completion
date
• Initial results are promising
• New generation of Manuka hybrids in the pipeline
• Comvita looking to expand its Plantation program
and are keen to talk to Owners wishing to retire land
• Consider “Trees for Bees” integration into planting
Take Home Messages
Plantation Manuka - Benefits to rural NZ
Commercialise alternative land use for marginal land in NZ
Macro environmental & economic benefit – Pure NZ Story
Flow-on benefits of wealth creation through honey industry
Capability development – new beekeepers & cadets