"Victory for Beekeepers: Annual Audits Restored, Easing Financial Burden"
In a significant win for beekeepers, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has decided to roll back the requirements for twice-yearly audit processes, reverting to a single annual audit. This change comes as a relief for beekeepers who have been burdened with costly and time-consuming audit obligations since 2019.
For the past two years, beekeepers were obliged to conduct risk management plans (RMPs) every six months as part of the audit process, regardless of how frequently their honey-making facilities were in use. This requirement placed a considerable financial and administrative strain on beekeepers.
Jane Lorimer, the president of NZ Beekeeping, expressed her satisfaction at MPI's decision to return to an annual audit cycle, resulting in substantial savings of over $2000 per premises. Lorimer explained that the beekeeping community had been advocating for this change since 2019, when the shift to biannual audits was introduced, citing concerns from Chinese importers about honey quality.
The additional audit every six months had become redundant for many beekeepers, as it primarily covered ground already addressed in the initial audit. This change is seen as a relief for beekeepers who have been facing an increasing number of stringent requirements, such as testing for toxic tutin levels, monitoring the presence of American Foul Brood spores, and even assessing glyphosate levels for exports to Japan. Additionally, beekeepers were required to obtain a $2500 export license.
Considering the costs associated with these requirements, including testing and audits, beekeepers were incurring expenses of around $8000 for every 1500-1800 hives, not accounting for their regular operational costs. The return to annual audits will undoubtedly provide financial relief for the beekeeping industry.
While the MPI's updated requirements bring back annual audits, beekeepers are now tasked with documenting their actions and knowledge as part of a competency requirement. This measure is aimed at balancing the return to once-a-year audits. MPI's documentation highlights that annual verification reduces the financial burden of regulatory compliance, particularly for facilities that exclusively handle honey, as they present a low risk.
However, beekeepers must remain diligent to ensure that they avoid any significant non-compliance issues, as reverting to six-monthly audits could become necessary. Jane Lorimer emphasized the industry's commitment to maintaining a high level of compliance to prevent such a shift and commended the MPI for working collaboratively with the beekeeping community to achieve this positive outcome.
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