The high value of medicinal Manuka honey opened the door to establishing plantations for honey bees for the first time.

To contribute to successful Leptospermum plantation establishment, this sub-program addressed climate matching species to regions, soil and soil moisture site selection, understanding the plant genetics for breeding and trait selection, propagation and discovering new species that produce the active compound. This research has de-risked the Manuka plantation establishment and broadened the opportunity to produce Australian Manuka honey.