Manuka Honey is produced naturally by honey bees, from the nectar of plants of the Leptospermum genus. Australia has 83 native species of this plant, representing the largest biodiversity of Leptospernum in the world.

Manuka honey is known to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-boosting properties, making it a highly desirable commodity for personal and commercial medicinal use. However, the Manuka plant only flowers during a very short period of time each year and each individual flower may only be open for five days. This creates a very small window of opportunity for hardworking hives of bees to collect the precious nectar, which is why it is more expensive than normal honey.

Recently, Coorong Apiaries purchased two properties in the Eammville region of NSW, which are surrounded by magnificent stands of native Leptosternum trees. It is this rich floral resource which will enable Coorong Apiaries to produce and market its own brand of Manuka Honey.

However, gathering the Manuka honey is just the first step on the journey to market, as the honey needs to be independently laboratory tested to determine its level of active ingredients – Methylglyoxal (MGO) and Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Once these tests are completed, the results will be submitted to the Australian Manuka Honey Association for authentication and certification as 100% Australian Manuka Honey. It is hoped that the first batch of Coorong Gold Manuka Honey will be available to domestic and international markets early in 2023. So, watch this space!!