Comvita - CVT

[Toddy]

Current prices beekeepers charge for pollination are between $220 to $280 for uncovered orchards. $320 to $400 for covered orchards. Prices vary depending on location. Beekeepers charge more for covered orchards as the health of the hives is negatively impacted during time under cover.

The hives get moved around the orchards. I. E the income is per hive should be multiplied.

The orchards on the flats can flower two weeks apart. So the same hives normally do 2 gold orchards. Then you also have Red which is before Gold, and green that is after.
The green orchards are the most demanding on the bees as they have to pollinate the same flower approx 40 times. As opposed to gold, twice.

So bank on the same hives being used min twice, often 3 or even 4 times depending on how strong the hive is.

The bees are not put on kiwifruit for honey, just pure $$ in the bank 7 days later.

[kiora]

Hire is for 2-3 weeks during pollination only !

Yes that's the hire rate.

The cost to look after/maintain a hive for a year is ???

[Toddy]

Yes that's the hire rate.

The cost to look after/maintain a hive for a year is ???

I have the hives on my property Gold kiwifruit for approx 7 days each year. Then they go to the next job.
Been in the Industry for 20 years.
After they have done several orchards they go back onto clover or the likes to rest.

Cost per hive to look after depends on your business set up and economy of scale like any other business.

My bee keeper has been buying other businesses and orchards. So I'm guessing that the cashflow is pretty decent.

Also, big Honey companies like Aritiki are massively involved.
In hiring to orchardists.

[Mackap]

I'm a beekeeper that does pollination. Most of my hives only do 1 visit into pollination. But other beekeepers do put there hives into gold then green pollination, so their hives can do 2 pollinations. But with a lot of green being converted there is less opportunities for hives to do this second service. Kiwifruit orchardists are kind of propping up a lot of beekeeping operations at the moment (thanks Toddy!) I used to only do Manuka but have over 30 tonnes of it in storage, and I'm just a small operator. Hopefully comvitas furtunes turn around soon. Beekeepers dropping out left and right.

[Toddy]

I'm a beekeeper that does pollination. Most of my hives only do 1 visit into pollination. But other beekeepers do put there hives into gold then green pollination, so their hives can do 2 pollinations. But with a lot of green being converted there is less opportunities for hives to do this second service. Kiwifruit orchardists are kind of propping up a lot of beekeeping operations at the moment (thanks Toddy!) I used to only do Manuka but have over 30 tonnes of it in storage, and I'm just a small operator. Hopefully comvitas furtunes turn around soon. Beekeepers dropping out left and right.

Without bees we are all in trouble, so keep up the good work.

[Balance]

I see Egmont honey has online sales discounting 60% off high grade Manuka. Egmont honey is owned by Nestle but they were selling it off, from what I heard.

CVT has stubbornly refused to discount its products to maintain its premium positioning. And it has tried yo make a virtue of building up and holding on to stock.

Meanwhile, its other manuka honey competitors have been and are discounting heavily - initially multi-floral low UMF but now, high UMF 15+.

Bought some Manuka Health UMF10+ at Pak n Save recently for an overseas visitor to take home, 500g for $20.99 vs the price of Comvita’s 250g UMF5+ for $10.50!

The gold rush seems over and CVT is being left behind.

[Mackap]

Yes interesting point there Balance. To give you an idea of what us beekeepers are being paid currently for Manuka, price per kg...
UMF 5 - $10-$12
UMF 10 - $15-$18
UMF 15 $30 ish
UMF 20 $40+
There are a lot of markers we need to test for which has a big effect on prices offered.

[winner69]

Inventory doesn’t appear to be reducing much at all

But a lot more in finished stock and less raw material from a year ago by looks of it

Wonder if in big clean up of Balance Sheet they take chance to write some off.

[kiora]

Still paying beekeepers to maintain hives to produce more honey that is slow to sell?
2x Stock turnover/year but the devil in the detail?

Need to write some stock off & get it out the door but discounting catch 22?


Fonterra had milk powder over flowing their warehouses years ago & had to discount heavily but turned milk prices around the following year

[winner69]

Jeez Comvita obviously so full of optimism or they have no real idea as to what’s going on

Here’s how their guidance has evolved last 12 months

FY23. EBITDA $33.5m
Aug23 guidance ….double digit growth in EBITDA
Nov23 guidance $33m-$38m
Feb24 guidance . $30m-35m
May24 guidance $23m-$28m
July24 unaudited $17.1m