john berry 5,636 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Try as I may I cannot understand why with no change in the law it has become a illegal to post honey overseas. I had several very disappointed customers today at the farmers market. I don't know a lot about what has happened but as far as I can see it is because of a ruling from MPI. It is way past time beekeepers stop being pushed around by bureaucrats with no idea of reality and the damage they cause and this is by no means the only situation where gross stupidity from people that are supposed to be helping the beekeeping industry have caused immeasurable harm. You can take honey in your suitcase when you fly to England and give it to someone so why can't you post it to the same person. Honey is not some deep dark illegal product. I would really appreciate people's thoughts on this. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Grant 4,298 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Most of it changed in September from what I recall. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisM 1,277 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 4 hours ago, john berry said: You can take honey in your suitcase when you fly to England and give it to someone so why can't you post it to the same person. Honey is not some deep dark illegal product. I would really appreciate people's thoughts on this. discussed in other threads. It is entirely down to MPI. The only solution is a political one for everyone who is affected to talk to their local MP and to copy any correspondence to the Minister for PI. Link to post Share on other sites
frazzledfozzle 7,483 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 MPI...no surprises there 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 906 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Sending honey from NZ | MPI | NZ Government WWW.MPI.GOVT.NZ <p>Honey is an animal product, and only registered exporters can send animal products out of New Zealand even if it’s a gift or for personal use.</p> It would appear that if you are a registered exporter on this list, your customers can send your product overseas. But then again, my interpretation may be incorrect, or by the time I finish typing this the law may have changed again. Edited November 30, 2020 by Maggie James https://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/registers-lists/exporters/index.htm?setup_file=exporters-ssi.setup.cgi&rows_to_return=20000&submit_search=Search 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post john berry 5,636 Posted November 30, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 30, 2020 I have looked at the MPI's reasons for the ban but I cannot find why it was fine a year ago and now it's not. They are basically saying that honey is an animal product and as such you must be licensed to exported it. Mark Goodwin has argued that honey is not an animal product but a plant product and should be treated as such. I can see his point and think it's probably time that beekeepers in New Zealand United to get honey out of the animal products and into plant products. Sugar for instance is a plant product despite being heavily modified and refined by upright apes. One of the biggest problems with having honey called an animal product is that it is lumped in with things like meat and milk and I know what I would rather eat if it had been left sitting on a hot bench for a month. If stopping someone sending a few pots of honey in the mail is so vital to New Zealand's reputation why is it fine for the same person to take that same honey to the same person in their luggage? There are countries including New Zealand that do not allow the importation of honey for by security reasons and I have absolutely no problem with that but for the rest it's just nonsense. 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,232 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Have any members raised this with Apinz ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Grant 4,298 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 @Bighands what happened to your ministerial reply in relation to the previous topic on this subject ? Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,065 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 As soon as I get my printer and scanner fixed i will send the reply to you. Link to post Share on other sites
Dennis Crowley 1,351 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 2 hours ago, yesbut said: Have any members raised this with Apinz ? APINZ has many discussions on this subject with MPI. MPI standard reply is the rules are the rules. Dont under estimate people to send a lot of little small parcels claiming them as just samples but need a container to carry them all. Link to post Share on other sites
john berry 5,636 Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 Hi Dennis. Do you know if this Postal ban was caused by a change in the law or a reinterpretation of the law.? Link to post Share on other sites
tristan 4,362 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 i would not be surprised if it was a move done to curb grey exports and those who illegally export. eg online honey sales posting overseas in small quantities, pretending to send a gift, and bypassing all the rules commercials have to go through. ie sending nz only honey or non-eu honey to the eu. Link to post Share on other sites
Dennis Crowley 1,351 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 17 minutes ago, john berry said: Hi Dennis. Do you know if this Postal ban was caused by a change in the law or a reinterpretation of the law.? I think it was Postal deciding to stick to the rules and not having staff at different locations interpreting what they think the rules are. Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,232 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Can we post a packet of milk powder ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,065 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 No ,you cannot unless you have an export licence 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maggie James 906 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 13 hours ago, Dennis Crowley said: I think it was Postal deciding to stick to the rules and not having staff at different locations interpreting what they think the rules are. To avoid diverse intrepretations, surely NZ Post have protocol manuals and staff training sessions. My understanding from government announcements latetly, that the primary sector is driving the economy. Therefore, why can't beekeepers who appear on the MPI list of registered honey exporters not be able to sell to people wishing to send honey overseas via the post? Beekeepers on this list are all trying to get maximum value for their products. And why can't customers of beekeepers whose products are extracted/processed/packed under compliance not also send. Post Covid, MPI and other govt departments are majorily concerned about protectionism creeping into our export markets with tariff barriers. Yet, here back home before the product leaves our shores, NZ Post are creating their own barrier for compliant beekeepers. I think NZ Post need to think about how they can assist the government's aims, and they need to think about the negative PR they appear to be garnering. Bad PR can often create good competitors and alternative solutions. Maybe NZ Post really aren't interested in staying in business with postal services. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
john berry 5,636 Posted November 30, 2020 Author Share Posted November 30, 2020 I can't post honey to my son in Norway but I can send Marmite. The vast majority of Norwegians think that New Zealanders are very sick puppies to eat Marmite so posting Marmite is far more likely to damage New Zealand's reputation than honey. 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites
gordie 27 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 34 minutes ago, john berry said: I can't post honey to my son in Norway but I can send Marmite. The vast majority of Norwegians think that New Zealanders are very sick puppies to eat Marmite so posting Marmite is far more likely to damage New Zealand's reputation than honey. You would be less of a sick puppy if you ate vegemite!! 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Grant 4,298 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Maggie James said: Therefore, why can't beekeepers who appear on the MPI list of registered honey exporters not be able to sell to people wishing to send honey overseas via the post? Beekeepers on this list are all trying to get maximum value for their products. And why can't customers of beekeepers whose products are extracted/processed/packed under compliance not also send. They can surely, or am I missing something? Para 1. The sender of the Honey or Bee products must be a registered exporter, or the product is being shipped on behalf of a registered exporter. Where does it say the registered exporter can't sell the product also? Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisM 1,277 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 16 hours ago, yesbut said: Can we post a packet of milk powder ? very much on topic. So, what if I want to send a bottle of wine overseas as a gift. Is that like Marmite or do I need to be a registered exporter for that also? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Maurice Field 0 Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 I sent wine to a friend in California US Customs sent it back. You cannot post wine to or from the USA Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 2 hours ago, Maurice Field said: I sent wine to a friend in California US Customs sent it back. You cannot post wine to or from the USA Then, how did they manage to send it back. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwi Bee 589 Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 I sill do not get it. Is I buy a pot of honey from PnS, let say made by one of the big players, and I would like to send it to EU. Can I do it or not? If NZ Post doesn't do the job, what about DHL? Link to post Share on other sites
Grant 4,298 Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Irrelevant what courier you use. All the documents and instructions are in the topics. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
nab 86 Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 On 6/12/2020 at 4:29 PM, Maurice Field said: I sent wine to a friend in California US Customs sent it back. You cannot post wine to or from the USA you should have sent firelighters 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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