The puller-togetherer of the
Neil Walker has no inside knowledge on whether the consortium’s biggest player,
But, Walker, a former senior research manager at Fonterra, current Taranaki dairy farmer andregional councillor (among many hats), would like to see a longterm approach to the development ofthe manuka honey and other products market in and by New Zealand.
MRPL recently obtained 50:50 funding from the MAF-administered Primary Growth Partnership (PGP),after its members agreed to pony up half of the $1.7 million to be invested in a seven year researchprogramme to increase the reliability of supply and proportion of medical grade manuka honey out ofNew Zealand. (Story
Of most immediate interest could be the fine print in the PGP contract with respect to theresearch programmes being in the interest of NZ.
Walker says there’s a contract clause about protecting the nation’s investment and equity inthe project. Though a foreign-owner wouldn’t necessarily not be able to be part of a researchproject, Walker says it is something that would have to be looked at.
The consortium reckons it can produce 16 times the current quantity of manuka honey (and with itthe Unique Manuka Factor = active ingredient methylgloxal) and crack $1 billion a year in sales.
MRPL has just begun efforts to have plantation manuka aimed at maximising flowering and length offlowering time. It is working closely with Massey University, and after an initial set-back when theoriginal PhD student who was going to work in the project had to pull out, has now found anotheracademically-inclined scientist to carry out the contracted work.
Walker says MRPL has to meet milestones with ongoing funding dependent on meeting them.
MRPL has also appointed Dr Laurie Melton , recently retired as professor of Food Science atAuckland University, as an independent auditor of the partnership’s performance.
Melton will help keep an on eye on how well projects are moving along, and be able to provide thenecessary prods and pushes if required.
Walker has observed over the years that it is extremely easy to find time and milestone slippagewhen dealing with universities. “While this project may be important to us, it’s just anotherproject for the university,” he says. “An independent, external auditor is one way of keep inthe project moving.”
He hopes that New Zealand can learn off the likes of the Chinese and Japanese, and have at leasta 20 year plan for manuka honey. Comvita’s courting of Cerebos could be a way to establish exactlyhow much Comvita is worth, though he also hopes present directors are taking a longterm approach toany investment in what is a public company.
In the meantime, Walker’s going to check out the details of the PGP contract.
For, while MAF aren’t the only ones interested in the outcome, given that there’sintellectual property being (or going to be) generated in manuka by the MRPL, as the government’sproxy, it has a fair bit of influence in the final outcome of the project.