A booming US market; A hornet response; and a major 'truck-up'.
This episode of Apiarist’s Advocate Pod presents an audio reading of three feature stories from apiaristsadvocate.com, read in full for listeners who prefer to listen rather than read. The first story, "The US Honey Market Through the Eyes of Sellers", explores how New Zealand’s mānuka honey exporters and the UMF Honey Association view the rapid growth of the US market, the role of big-box retailers and e‑commerce, the influence of AI on consumer education, and whether current demand and pricing are sustainable. The second, "Hornet Response Continues on North Shore Only", reports on Biosecurity New Zealand’s response to the yellow‑legged hornet incursion on Auckland’s North Shore, including key findings from a beekeeper webinar, trapping and tracking methods, risks of spread, and what beekeepers around the country are advised to do. The third, "In a Pickle – A Beekeeper’s Truck-Up", is a first‑person account from an anonymous beekeeper whose fully laden 10-tonne truck rolled beside a farm dam, recounting the chain of small mistakes that led to the incident, the rescue of the bees and truck, and the lessons learned.