Aussie beeks fight for Manuka

[Grant 4,298]

Australian beekeepers are calling for an end to the ongoing trademark dispute with New Zealand producers over manuka honey that continues to threaten their livelihood.

For the first time the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) has filed evidence to defend the use of the term manuka on Australian honey products.

"We're not a big association and we are defending beekeepers' livelihoods," AMHA chair Paul Callander said.

 

Australian beekeepers livelihoods on the line as they defend their use of term manuka - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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Australian beekeepers lodge evidence to dispute New Zealand's attempt to trademark the term manuka, arguing the word has been used in Australia since the 1840s.

 

[Maru Hoani 649]

On 23/10/2020 at 3:25 PM, Grant said:

Australian beekeepers are calling for an end to the ongoing trademark dispute with New Zealand producers over manuka honey that continues to threaten their livelihood.

For the first time the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) has filed evidence to defend the use of the term manuka on Australian honey products.

"We're not a big association and we are defending beekeepers' livelihoods," AMHA chair Paul Callander said.

 

Australian beekeepers livelihoods on the line as they defend their use of term manuka - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

---

Australian beekeepers lodge evidence to dispute New Zealand's attempt to trademark the term...

 

Hopefully the tests go back to being just active, as long as it has the activity it must be manuka.

[Maggie James 899]

The word Manuka has probably been in use in parts of Australia since the 1840s, because it was probably imported from NZ then.  NZ Native timbers were a big export to Australia, and no doubt probably Manuka plants arrived into Australia from NZ at that time.  

[nikki watts 905]

Just now, Maggie James said:

The word Manuka has probably been in use in parts of Australia since the 1840s, because it was probably imported from NZ then.  NZ Native timbers were a big export to Australia, and no doubt probably Manuka plants arrived into Australia from NZ at that time.  

I was told by an (I think) Mpi scientist that lepto scoparium originated in Aussie. Her opinion was anyone had the right to claim it Aussie would. The sticking point is who called it Manuka first. 

[Maggie James 899]

Manuka is a Maori word, not an aboriginal word.  Aborigines are one of the oldest races in the world.  When you google Polynesia, Australia isn't on the list, but NZ is.  Therefore the Australians need to think of their own word, or use the appropriate Aboriginal word.  

[Grant 4,298]

Didn't they used to call their version tea tree?

[kaihoka 2,975]

Has anyone who has spent time travelling australia ever heard tea tree called manuka before about 10 yrs ago when there was money in the name.

NZ  did all the work to create value in the name .

 

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,846]

1 hour ago, Grant said:

Didn't they used to call their version tea tree?

Yes.  They called their Leptospermum Leather wood or Tee tree. 

[JohnF 727]

Leatherwood is another plant altogether. They used to call their active honey jelybush (Leptospermum polygalifolium) but now all labelled ‘manuka’

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,846]

55 minutes ago, JohnF said:

Leatherwood is another plant altogether. They used to call their active honey jelybush (Leptospermum polygalifolium) but now all labelled ‘manuka’

Ok. Thanks. I knew it was all tied up somewhere until manuka came along

[David Yanke 470]

4 hours ago, kaihoka said:

Has anyone who has spent time travelling australia ever heard tea tree called manuka before about 10 yrs ago when there was money in the name.

NZ  did all the work to create value in the name .

 

Mostly it was one man, not NZ, and he was a transplanted Welshman, who did all the work, and I remember one Conference many moons ago when there was fierce opposition to a Remit at the AGM to approve a 25 cent per hive levy to to fund fund his research and the marketing around it.

 

Up until that point you rarely heard the word Manuka used in NZ as well, Manuka and Kanuka were just referred to as Teatree or scrub.

[Phil46 609]

As has been stated,Manuka is a maori word and use of the term ' manuka' has been around for donkeys years referring to the bush ,scrub watever you want to call it.To say manuka was rarely heard around NZ,im not sure wat part of the country you were brought up in but iv known about since i was a kid.

Now if you are referring to the honey produced from the manuka bush...thats a different story as im not a long time beekeeper and i dont know what they referred to it back in the day.

As far as I'm know,the honeys produced from the lepto scoparium are very similar if not the same and in my view,thats not the arguement,its the naming of that honey that is and because this particular honey was researched,proven and marketed by NZ as the new superfood under the name 'Manuka' we should have all rights to it.

Im guessing aussie has always produced this honey,however they werent calling it manuka until NZ cracked it.

 

[Maggie James 899]

39 minutes ago, Phil46 said:

As has been stated,Manuka is a maori word

My understanding is that Manuka is a Polynesian word, used mainly by NZ Maori.  If I am incorrect, am v happy to be corrected on this statement by someone in the know.  Australia is not part of Polynesia.  The biggest island in Polynesia, is the South Island of NZ.  So, I guess the second biggest island is the North Island of NZ.  

[tommy dave 1,184]

7 hours ago, David Yanke said:

Up until that point you rarely heard the word Manuka used in NZ as well, Manuka and Kanuka were just referred to as Teatree or scrub.

i've heard manuka (edit: and probably kanuka too) called manuka all my life, could be a rural/urban thing perhaps? or could have varied across nz?

Edited October 26, 2020 by tommy dave

[Maggie James 899]

16 minutes ago, tommy dave said:

Teatree or scrub.

Never heard of it being referred to teatree in the Mainland. 

 

I remember once in all seriousness, Maggie Barry on her gardening show describing the difference between manuka & kanuka, was that kanuka dropped its nuts!!!!  Couldn't believe my ears.  

 

20 minutes ago, tommy dave said:

i've heard manuka (edit: and probably kanuka too) called manuka all my life, could be a rural/urban thing perhaps? or could have varied across nz?

These days with better micrcoscopy, kanuka and manuka cannot be lumped as the same, which has probably happened in the past; up until fairly recently.  

 

[Sailabee 1,102]

To me, the whole manuka debacle would not have arisen had the research been government funded, and therefore the results government owned. Unfortunately a corporatising mentality in government meant it was sold to the highest bidder, and the Aussie beeks could purloin the name - and reputation of it.

 

It is ironic that in NZ, even the fabulously wealthy are struggling to purchase and use the dressings.

[Bighands 1,064]

To me the moari council are to blame.When I worked with the people on the E.Coast I saw what was going to happen. This is regards the Australians and Manuka honey.I mentioned this to a member of the Moari Council and suggested the the name Manuka should be protected as it is a Moari name, not european, aboriginal Moari.This was more than 10 yrs ago.What happened nothing.Perhaps Victor Goldsmith would like to comment

[Alastair 8,627]

It's not like they did nothing, there is a philosophical problem.

 

Some Iwi think the word manuka should be trade marked, and I think Shane Jones shares that opinion. But Ngai Tahu, one of the most powerful tribes, is against it. The reason is this. - Many things Maori have been missapropriated, often in an insulting way. For example the face of a respected chief who had an impressive facial tattoo being put on a bottle of beer. Certain Maori words and artwork has been used and abused both here and overseas, and an overseas company tried to trademark some Maori words.

 

So Ngai Tahu have taken the position they are against any Maori words being trademarked. This is an understandable position. Unfortunately they realise this works against them in some way, since Ngai Tahu are in the manuka business themselves. But to say we are against it, but will do it this time, is not a credible position and breaks the precident.

 

However there are other Iwi who do not agree, but in general, there will not be overwhelming support from Maori to trademark the word Manuka, even though their hearts may be in it.

 

 

[Phil46 609]

4 hours ago, Bighands said:

To me the moari council are to blame.When I worked with the people on the E.Coast I saw what was going to happen. This is regards the Australians and Manuka honey.I mentioned this to a member of the Moari Council and suggested the the name Manuka should be protected as it is a Moari name, not european, aboriginal Moari.This was more than 10 yrs ago.What happened nothing.Perhaps Victor Goldsmith would like to comment

Maori ,not moari.

[kaihoka 2,975]

On 26/10/2020 at 8:27 PM, Maggie James said:

remember once in all seriousness, Maggie Barry on her gardening show describing the difference between manuka & kanuka, was that kanuka dropped its nuts!!!!  Couldn't believe my ears.  

local wisdom is if kanuka scrub is growing on an area it can be cleared and something else will grow there.

but if manuka is growing there chances are only manuka will ever grow there.

[john berry 5,636]

I understand what is meant by manuka and kanuka but they were words that were used differently by different  tribes and in some cases were used for the complete opposite plant. Kahikatoa Is another name for manuka . Tea tree was a common name when I was growing up and the two species were differentiated with the name white and red..

It's only now that there is money involved that anybody gives a toss and personally I don't care what the Australians call it .

If people want to be really pedantic it should be labelled under the name that was used in the local area but that would be really confusing. I have heard that the Australian stuff taste is quite different from ours so country of label origin would be a good idea but other than that I don't care.

[Grant 4,298]

51 minutes ago, john berry said:

If people want to be really pedantic it should be labelled under the name that was used in the local area but that would be really confusing.

But that's exactly how European foods work. Cheese, wine, pies, Cornish pasties, champagne.

 

Cheddar can only come from cheddar, Cornish pasties from Cornwall, champagne from champagne etc.

[john berry 5,636]

In some areas manuka was called kanuka and in others kanuka was called manuka and then there was those areas that called manuka kahikatoa . I have no problem with area differentiation of manuka honey as the different areas tend to have different subspecies with often quite different flavour characteristics but it would definitely be confusing.

[Maggie James 899]

On 30/10/2020 at 8:04 PM, Grant said:

But that's exactly how European foods work. Cheese, wine, pies, Cornish pasties, champagne.

 

Cheddar can only come from cheddar, Cornish pasties from Cornwall, champagne from champagne etc.

Burgundy fron Burgundy trademarked, so Oz had to trademark Shiraz.  Both major marketing ploys

[Boot 388]

I understand that there has been a huge body of work and legal expense on the New Zealand side of this debate and my belief is that the name Manuka will eventually gain a protected geographical status unique to New Zealand. 

I believe the Australian Aboriginal word for Tea Tree is Kalara. This should be used for Australian product if they no longer want to use Jelly Bush. 

I have tasted the Australian product many times. It is fundamentally different. The taste and texture are nothing like Manuka. From the perspective of looking at global growth of Manuka, I believe internationally it is dangerously confusing to the consumer when Jelly Bush/Kalara carries the same name as genuine Manuka.