One of the hardest workers in New Zealand agriculture and horticulture is being celebrated in a set of postage stamps.

The honey bee will appear on stamps, marking the 100th anniversary of the National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand.

Honey bee stamps are on sale now

The New Zealand Post commemorative stamps are a tribute to the hardworking bee, which contributes 5 billion dollars a year to the New Zealand economy through the pollination of essential crops and the burgeoning honey products industry.

NZ Post says the special collectable stamp issue, depicting working honey bees and honey, is to raise awareness of the immeasurably valuable role that honey bees play in this country.

The NBA says the honey bee is under threat from dwindling food sources, the varroa mite and pesticides and chemicals.

'The release of these special stamps is a timely reminder to us all of the importance of bees to our agricultural and horticultural industries, and to so many of the foods we eat,” says NBA CEO Daniel Paul.

'Next month is Bee Aware Month in New Zealand and it is great that NZ Post has created these stamps to help us raise awareness of this critically important and productive insect.”

The stamps are available from July 3 at Post Shops and online.