Honey export hits sweet spot with eight-tonne shipment on its way to China

THE taste of Tasmanian honey is hitting the sweet spot for Chinese consumers, with one of biggest beekeepers in the south of the state shipping eight tonnes in their first container export.

THE taste of Tasmanian honey is hitting the sweet spot for Chinese consumers, with one of biggest beekeepers in the south of the state shipping eight tonnes in their first container export.

Peter Norris and his wife Trisha, who operate award-winning Heritage Honey with its processing plant at Derwent Park, are busy packing 15,600 jars of leatherwood and prickly box honey destined for Chambroad, an $8 billion Chinese company in Shandong province.

Chambroad Australia deputy general manager Finely Zhang said honey was popular in China.

“We wanted to get leatherwood because it is uniquely Tasmanian. All the state’s honey has a great taste,” he said.

“I met Peter and Trisha at their Salamanca stall – they are quite professional with quality honey, so we bought the stock.”

Heritage Honey co-owner Peter Norris, left, with Chambroad Australia deputy general manager Finely Zhang and some of the company’s honey. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Mr Norris, the Southern Bee Keepers Association president, said about 1000 tonnes of leatherwood honey was produced in Tasmania each year.

“It’s great to be sending a container, we could produce and grow the business even more if we had more leatherwood trees, rather them being trashed,” Mr Norris said.

The Tasmanian honey industry is worth about $15 million, but its value to the horticulture sector with bee pollination pushes that out to more than $200 million

Originally published as Honey export hits sweet spot with eight-tonne shipment on its way to China