The National Beekeepers Association has requested the New Zealand Government not to lift the ban from honey imports. NBA president Barry Foster said that they have made a plea to the government on the basis of their two year extensive research on the health standard of imported honey.

Foster recalled that it was not easy to get the ban on honey imports. The Ministry of Primary Industries strongly said in the court trial that there is no risk in importing honey. However, it was the NBA, which presented facts about the probable error harms of imported honey.

A virus comes with the imported honey, and it can cause problem, but claims were made that heating process can take out the virus. Foster said that such is not the case and one should learn from the Psa-V virus case in which a lot of loss is being suffered by the kiwifruit industry.

Forster affirmed that there is no need to put the bee industry at risk. "The only serious solution to European foulbrood is antibiotics and its residue in bee products means a serious downgrading of quality. Who wants that”, said Foster while talking about the problem being faced by the bee industry.