STAT Communications Ag Market News

U.S.Honey Output Rose in 2019

WASHINGTON - Mat 19/20 - SNS -- Last year's honey output in the United States rose 2% to 157 million pounds, according to the USDA.

There were 2.81 million colonies producing honey in 2019, down 1% from 2018. Yield per colony averaged 55.8 pounds, up 2% from the 54.5 pounds in 2018.

Producer honey stocks were 41.0 million pounds on December 15, 2019, up 40% from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

United States honey prices decreased 11% during 2019 to 1.97 cents per pound, compared to 2.21 cents per pound in 2018. United States and State

level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through cooperatives, private, and retail channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing channel.

Prices for the 2018 crop reflect honey sold in 2018 and 2019. Some 2018 crop honey was sold in 2019, which caused some revisions to the 2018 crop prices.

Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2018
[Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      :    Honey     :   Yield   :               :               :  Average  :    Value
         State        :  producing   :    per    :  Production   :    Stocks     : price per :      of
                      : colonies 1/  :  colony   :               :December 15 2/ : pound 3/  :production 4/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      :    1,000        pounds        ---- 1,000 pounds ----        dollars   1,000 dollars
                      :
Alabama ..............:        6          45              270             14         3.72          1,004
Arizona ..............:       24          38              912            109         3.01          2,745
Arkansas .............:       28          50            1,400             84         1.88          2,632
California ...........:      335          41           13,735          3,022         2.11         28,981
Colorado .............:       31          48            1,488            283         2.05          3,050
Florida ..............:      215          49           10,535            737         2.40         25,284
Georgia ..............:       98          34            3,332            200         2.76          9,196
Hawaii ...............:       17         103            1,751             18         1.92          3,362
Idaho ................:       96          31            2,976            655         1.96          5,833
Illinois .............:       11          41              451            108         4.83          2,178
                      :
Indiana ..............:        7          46              322            106         3.58          1,153
Iowa .................:       38          49            1,862          1,005         2.40          4,469
Kansas ...............:        5          73              365             95         3.10          1,132
Kentucky .............:        4          41              164             34         5.43            891
Louisiana ............:       45          83            3,735            261         1.91          7,134
Maine ................:       12          32              384             92         2.98          1,144
Michigan .............:       97          44            4,268            768         2.49         10,627
Minnesota ............:      119          61            7,259          1,161         1.94         14,082
Mississippi ..........:       20          87            1,740             70         2.07          3,602
Missouri .............:        9          45              405             36         2.83          1,146
                      :
Montana ..............:      160          92           14,720          3,680         1.90         27,968
Nebraska .............:       40          59            2,360            850         2.01          4,744
New Jersey ...........:       13          31              403            165         7.47          3,010
New York .............:       56          48            2,688            833         3.24          8,709
North Carolina .......:       10          33              330             63         5.76          1,901
North Dakota .........:      550          72           39,600          4,752         1.87         74,052
Ohio .................:       14          73            1,022            491         3.72          3,802
Oregon ...............:       93          35            3,255          1,009         2.36          7,682
Pennsylvania .........:       19          44              836            309         3.89          3,252
South Carolina .......:       16          48              768             15         3.17          2,435
                      :
South Dakota .........:      255          47           11,985          5,154         1.91         22,891
Tennessee ............:        7          46              322             84         4.11          1,323
Texas ................:      132          56            7,392          1,035         2.12         15,671
Utah .................:       26          41            1,066             75         2.10          2,239
Vermont ..............:        7          48              336             94         3.76          1,263
Virginia .............:        4          40              160             35         7.24          1,158
Washington ...........:       77          43            3,311            563         2.15          7,119
West Virginia ........:        6          37              222             38         4.33            961
Wisconsin ............:       51          45            2,295            711         2.95          6,770
Wyoming ..............:       39          56            2,184            175         1.91          4,171
                      :
Other States 5/ 6/ ...:       36          39            1,399            314         6.02          8,422
                      :
United States 6/ 7/ ..:    2,828          54.5        154,008         29,303         2.21        340,358
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Honey producing colonies are the maximum number of colonies from which honey was harvested during the
   year. It is possible to harvest honey from colonies which did not survive the entire year.
2/ Stocks held by producers.
3/ Average price per pound based on expanded sales.
4/ Value of production is equal to production multiplied by average price per pound.
5/ Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
   Rhode Island not published separately to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
6/ Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
7/ United States value of production will not equal summation of States.
Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2019
[Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      :    Honey     :   Yield   :               :               :  Average  :    Value
         State        :  producing   :    per    :  Production   :    Stocks     : price per :      of
                      : colonies 1/  :  colony   :               :December 15 2/ : pound 3/  :production 4/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      :    1,000        pounds        ---- 1,000 pounds ----        dollars   1,000 dollars
                      :
Alabama ..............:        7         42               294             44         3.20            941
Arizona ..............:       23         46             1,058            201         1.97          2,084
Arkansas .............:       20         55             1,100            176         1.53          1,683
California ...........:      335         48            16,080          3,216         1.56         25,085
Colorado .............:       32         46             1,472            500         2.14          3,150
Florida ..............:      205         45             9,225            830         2.48         22,878
Georgia ..............:      102         33             3,366            370         2.61          8,785
Hawaii ...............:       16         80             1,280             51         1.28          1,638
Idaho ................:       92         32             2,944            677         1.67          4,916
Illinois .............:       11         39               429            116         4.31          1,849
                      :
Indiana ..............:        9         55               495            198         3.95          1,955
Iowa .................:       38         55             2,090          1,170         2.24          4,682
Kansas ...............:        7         79               553            171         2.95          1,631
Kentucky .............:        6         41               246             44         4.50          1,107
Louisiana ............:       54         72             3,888            428         2.04          7,932
Maine ................:       15         35               525            110         2.92          1,533
Michigan .............:       94         50             4,700          1,363         2.36         11,092
Minnesota ............:      118         59             6,962          3,063         1.63         11,348
Mississippi ..........:       22         80             1,760            141         1.85          3,256
Missouri .............:       10         43               430             73         3.32          1,428
                      :
Montana ..............:      173         86            14,878          5,802         1.48         22,019
Nebraska .............:       39         52             2,028            223         1.46          2,961
New Jersey ...........:       15         28               420            155         3.33          1,399
New York .............:       59         58             3,422          1,027         4.49         15,365
North Carolina .......:       14         42               588            118         4.06          2,387
North Dakota .........:      520         65            33,800          6,422         1.40         47,320
Ohio .................:       15         67             1,005            442         3.42          3,437
Oregon ...............:       87         32             2,784          1,141         2.07          5,763
Pennsylvania .........:       19         50               950            409         4.24          4,028
South Carolina .......:       16         47               752             45         5.01          3,768
                      :
South Dakota .........:      270         72            19,440          7,582         1.53         29,743
Tennessee ............:        8         57               456             91         4.65          2,120
Texas ................:      126         60             7,560          1,814         2.30         17,388
Utah .................:       22         29               638             89         2.06          1,314
Vermont ..............:        6         48               288             84         4.34          1,250
Virginia .............:        5         39               195             49         7.51          1,464
Washington ...........:       81         35             2,835          1,191         2.12          6,010
West Virginia ........:        6         37               222             47         4.50            999
Wisconsin ............:       46         47             2,162            692         2.99          6,464
Wyoming ..............:       39         56             2,184            306         1.35          2,948
                      :
Other States 5/ 6/ ...:       30         47             1,418            351         5.91          8,380
                      :
United States 6/ 7/ ..:    2,812         55.8         156,922         41,022         1.97        309,136
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Honey producing colonies are the maximum number of colonies from which honey was harvested during the
   year. It is possible to harvest honey from colonies which did not survive the entire year.
2/ Stocks held by producers.
3/ Average price per pound based on expanded sales.
4/ Value of production is equal to production multiplied by average price per pound.
5/ Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
   Rhode Island not published separately to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
6/ Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
7/ United States value of production will not equal summation of States.
Honey Price by Color Class - United States: 2018 and 2019
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :   Co-op and private   :        Retail         :          All
            Color class            :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :   2018    :   2019    :   2018    :   2019    :   2018    :   2019
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :                           dollars per pound
                                   :
Water white, extra white, white ...:   1.98        1.61        3.63        3.99        2.01        1.67
                                   :
Extra light amber .................:   2.01        1.63        3.44        3.55        2.12        1.85
                                   :
Light amber, amber, dark amber ....:   2.10        1.93        4.89        5.63        2.51        2.54
                                   :
All other honey, area specialties .:   2.64        2.40        7.17        7.77        3.62        3.84
                                   :
All honey .........................:   2.03        1.70        4.38        4.85        2.21        1.97
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income and Expenditures - United States: 2018 and 2019
[Represents income and expenditures on the total number of
colonies, regardless of whether honey was harvested]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
               Item              :     2018      :     2019
-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                 :         1,000 dollars
                                 :
Income                           :
Pollination income ..............:    301,854         309,630
Other income 1/ .................:     94,644          77,677
                                 :
Expenditures                     :
Varroa control and treatment ....:     17,788          16,366
Other colony issues 2/ ..........:      4,825           4,535
Feed 3/ .........................:     65,220          58,010
Foundation ......................:      9,534           7,887
Hives/woodenware ................:     13,646          10,230
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Includes sales of queens, queen cells, beeswax, propolis,
   etc.
2/ Includes Nosema, tracheal mites, foulbrod, paralysis, Kashmir,
   coudy wing, etc.
3/ Includes syrup, sugar water, honey, pollen paties, and other
   feeds.
Queen, Package, and Nuc Prices Paid - United States:
2018 and 2019
[Represents prices paid on the total number of colonies,
regardless of whether honey was harvested]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
               Item              :     2018      :     2019
-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                 :            dollars
                                 :
Queen ...........................:       18              18
Package .........................:       87              85
Nuc .............................:      108             100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Apiary Workers - United States: 2018 and 2019
[Represents number of paid and unpaid workers that worked with
colonies, regardless of whether honey was harvested]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
               Item              :     2018      :     2019
-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                 :            workers
                                 :
Apiary workers ..................:    23,000          25,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Only active subscribers can read all of this article.

If you are a subscriber, please log into the website.

If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe to this edition of the STAT website and to learn more about becoming a subscriber.