With just three weeks to go, Kiwi exporters are counting down the days until Aotearoa's new UK free trade agreement (FTA) kicks off.
From May 31, tariffs will be phased out for over 97 percent of New Zealand goods like wine and honey being sent to the United Kingdom.
Egmont Honey chief executive James Annabell told AM the FTA is "huge" and "really exciting" for his industry and Kiwi exporters.
"Some of the retailers are pretty brutal. Some of them are already asking when they're going to get the 16 percent discount, but hopefully, they pass some of it on to the consumer and it just makes our honey a little bit more accessible to the masses, hopefully."
Annabell said Egmont Honey is in over 30 export markets and business is "strong" despite one the the "worst seasons on record".
"It was a very wet summer. You know, bees like it hot, you know, when they need to go and pollinate the flower, collect the nectar. But so it's been a bit bad from a production point of view."
He said their inventory levels are "pretty solid" and they're not in danger of running out of manuka honey, as honey exports to the UK will "hopefully" increase.
"We're (exporting) hundreds of tonnes to the UK and it's a mixture of, you know, large health and wellness retailers supermarket, right up to sort of very high-end department store."
Annabell told AM the government announcement to bring forward the FTA date was "a great surprise".
"We're excited."
Watch the full interview above.
