New Zealand is dealing with an agricultural emergency following the discovery of a honey-bee mite which threatens honey production and live bee exports.

The mite, varroa jacobsoni, discovered on four South Auckland properties, poses no threat to human beings, but kills bees.

A former president of the Beekeepers' Association, Russell Berry, says it has serious implications for the pastoral agriculture and horticulture sectors, which rely heavily on bees for pollination.

Mr Berry says the relatively few bee pests and diseases in New Zealand had allowed it to export more than 300 million live bees a year, worth almost two million dollars to the economy.

The Ministry of Agriculture plans to declare the greater Auckland region a controlled area. http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newsdaily/rael-12apr2000-144.htm