opportunity 92 of 150 During 2016, in my capacity as a small honey producer (soon to be much bigger), I attended a seminar on bee keeping at the University of Western Australia. It was sponsored by Capilano, the largest honey processor in Australia. Part owned by Kerry Stokes, Capilano dominates the honey industry in Australia […]

opportunity 92 of 150 During 2016, in my capacity as a small honey producer (soon to be much bigger), I attended a seminar on bee keeping at the University of Western Australia. It was sponsored by Capilano, the largest honey processor in Australia. Part owned by Kerry Stokes, Capilano dominates the honey industry in Australia – producing relatively low end commoditised honey. What was once a premium product has been turned into a commodity. I had a number of questions about this subject. The answers provided by the Capilano executives present suggest to me that the business has few, if any, concerns about the commoditisation of honey. They demonstrate a preference for volume over margins – and show little concern for the impact this has on producer incomes. Certainly, there are premium honeys on the market that have not been commoditised by Capilano – including Jarrah and Manuka honey –…