Poor honey crop on the BBC News

[dpearce4]

On the 11am BBC News update it was reported due to the bad summer honey crops will be down by upto 60% this year.

Im sure there will be more about it on the 1pm and 6pm news.

 

[Poly Hive]

On average I think that may well be about right.

Useful though for the packers as I believe they are holding stock they will be pleased to move.

PH

 

[northernsoul]

Did they announce that the government were taking VAT off beekeeping equipment or allowing us to use red diesel to travel to our hives as a result?

I think not.

Rant Over!

 

[Into the lions den]

Did they announce that the government were taking VAT off beekeeping equipment or allowing us to use red diesel to travel to our hives as a result?

I think not.

Rant Over!

Beekeeping already qualifies as farming, so if you use a proper agricultural vehicle you can use red diesel *whilst on beekeeping work*. Even farmers have to use normal full duty fuel for their normal road useage in lorries or cars. (There are minor exceptions for local deliery jobs.)

Register your beekeeping as a business, it can be as small a business as you like, keep proper records, and you can claim 100% of your VAT back.

 

[margob99]

... meanwhile Sainsbury's is selling their "own brand" honey at £1.04 per 340g. Outrageous

 

[Into the lions den]

On average I think that may well be about right.
PH

Over the country as a whole its probably about correct but with stark regional variations. In my 'other capacity' I am hearing a lot of horror tales of non existent harvests and no money to buy syrup.

Some areas have a normal crop, most maybe 50%, some 5 to 10%, of normal.

The headline said down 60%.................and already had someone say there was a 60% honey crop to me on the phone today. Had to correct them and say it was DOWN 60% so actually only a 40% crop..............a level which renders beekeeping, even as a self financing activity, non viable.

Stocks at packers remain an issue. The public do not have the money in general (I know the local specialised market will still be doing well but they cannot absorb the national honey crop), and the stock is not moving through to retail at any significant rate, due to shops not stocking it and if they do it is slow moving stock at todays prices. The bad news concerning the honey harvest might kick start sales though, we have to wait and see.

 

[Into the lions den]

... meanwhile Sainsbury's is selling their "own brand" honey at £1.04 per 340g. Outrageous

Why is it outrageous? That reflects the world market price right now. Maybe a tad sharp, but it brings honey within the price range many lower income people can afford, who would never buy UK honey anyway, even if it was the only show in town.

Quality however is another whole debate. That generic 'honey' will be nondescript at best.

 

[Sir Quej]

... meanwhile Sainsbury's is selling their "own brand" honey at £1.04 per 340g. Outrageous

Yeah, and i could go out and buy a car for £200 but it would be a clapped out heap of sh*t.... if people are more interested in the price than the quality of honey, then they probably wouldnt buy from a beek anyway...

 

[dpearce4]

reporter will be live with a beekeeper in the next few mins on bbc news.

 

[Phayze]

If the summer crop is down by 60% I'm going to need more supers for next year but this is my first full year and is a great excuse to tell swmbo that I need more equipment for next year

 

[village girl]

Yeah, and i could go out and buy a car for £200 but it would be a clapped out heap of sh*t.... if people are more interested in the price than the quality of honey, then they probably wouldnt buy from a beek anyway...

its not nesaceraly about wether people arn't interested in the quality, its more often about not having the cash in thear pockets to spend on the best quality products

 

[BeeJayBee]

its not nesaceraly about wether people arn't interested in the quality, its more often about not having the cash in thear pockets to spend on the best quality products

Some people have, maybe, never had to be cautious with cash flow.

 

[clv101]

Register your beekeeping as a business, it can be as small a business as you like, keep proper records, and you can claim 100% of your VAT back.

Would you also have to add VAT to any honey/bees you sold though? I was under the impression that becoming VAT registered wasn't a great idea for very small businesses as it basically increases your prices by 20%.

 

[enrico]

You don't have to be vat registered to claim your vat back

 

[ma1308]

Whats wrong with a £200 clapped out heap of ****, I brought a heap of **** rattled like a tank looked like it would fall apart if you tapped to hard to get me to work while I decided what to waste me money on. That that heap of **** passed every MOT and never let me down, I never serviced it just put petrol in it that car lasted 3 years best £200 I have ever spent.

 

[dpearce4]

You don't have to be vat registered to claim your vat back

How?

 

[dpearce4]

Would you also have to add VAT to any honey/bees you sold though? I was under the impression that becoming VAT registered wasn't a great idea for very small businesses as it basically increases your prices by 20%.

There is no vat on foods such as honey unlike chocolate and sweets.

As for when you sell bees im not sure but as they are classed as livestock i would think not. If you sell them in the hive you can claim the vat back on the hive or wood you purchased to sell them in. But im sure there will be someone on here who will know definatly.

 

[dpearce4]

Whats wrong with a £200 clapped out heap of ****, I brought a heap of **** rattled like a tank looked like it would fall apart if you tapped to hard to get me to work while I decided what to waste me money on. That that heap of **** passed every MOT and never let me down, I never serviced it just put petrol in it that car lasted 3 years best £200 I have ever spent.

I must live in the wrong area you never see cars round here for less that a grand

 

[For want of a better word]

You don't have to be vat registered to claim your vat back

NOT TRUE

To claim VAT back you do have to be registered for VAT..... however if your Vat-able outgoings are greater than your Vat-able incomes you will be receiving from the IR a fat cheque... and visa-versa.

IF you are registered you can claim back the VAT element on the price of jars lids and labels, and sell honey and container exempt of VAT direct to the consumer.
Similarly with bees.. provided that the price of the container is a small amount compared to the price of the bees.

Do not think for one moment that you can sell a new hive full of bees VAT exempt! But of course if the purchaser was VAT registered they could claim the VAT back.....

 

[Lorenz]

I have been putting most of this year's honey in half pound jars, because there isn't that much. Outlets I normally sell at (cafes and dellis), already know there is a honey shortage. Lot of their other small honey suppliers have got none. I am selling to them at £4 for 8oz, and they usually put £2.50 on top of what they pay me. £6.50 for 8oz seems steep, but I guess it must sell.

I'm going to put some more in 4 ounce jars this year because at fetes people don't want to pay for a whole jar. Did this last week and it went really fast. I was amazed. People were telling me that there's no local honey, so they were going to get a little bit while they could.