What a Bee-autiful Idea ... Use Scrub to Make MillionsBy Rosemary Roberts, The Northern Advocate (New Zealand), 10/31/2008
The Far North's manuka scrublands - once seen as worthless wasteland - could instead create 200 jobs and millions of dollars a year in sales as the region taps into world's most sought-after honey.
Long-term the rewards could be even greater, with Far North iwi looking to cash in on the honey's anti-bacterial properties. The ultimate aim is a centre of excellence in Kaitaia based on manuka's special medicinal qualities and capitalising on the high levels of bioactive compounds in Northland manuka honey.
Think a college for beekeepers, a manufacturing plant to process medical-grade honey and make manuka-based medical products; a laboratory to develop new medical products; and large-scale production of manuka to plant as a "nurse" for slow-growing plantations of kauri and totara…
Enterprise Northland chief executive Brian Roberts said an even greater opportunity was that the venture could break into the international market for manuka-infused bandages to treat wounds and fight "superbugs". Manuka was more effective, cleaner, greener and safer than the present alternatives, the main one being silver-infused bandages…
No comments:
Post a Comment