STAT Communications Ag Market News

Honey Production and Prices Jump

WASHINGTON - Mar 20/15 - SNS -- American farmers with five or more colonies produced 19% more honey last year, with output hitting 178 million pounds, according to the USDA.

There were 2.74 million colonies producing honey in 2014, up 4% from 2013. Yield per colony averaged 65.1 pounds, up 15% from the 56.6 pounds in 2013.

Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colony may be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested.

Producer honey stocks were 41.2 million pounds on December 15, 2014, up 8% from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

Honey prices increased to a record high during 2014 to 216.1 cents per pound, up 1% from 214.1 cents per pound in 2013. 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 2013 crop reflect honey sold in 2013 and 2014. Some 2013 crop honey was sold in 2014, which caused some revisions to the 2013 crop prices.

Honey Price by Color Class - United States: 2013 and 2014
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :                                 Price
                                   :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
            Color class            :   Co-op and private   :        Retail         :          All
                                   :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :   2013    :   2014    :   2013    :   2014    :   2013    :   2014
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :                            cents per pound
                                   :
Water white, extra white, white ...:   210.9       204.0       340.9       327.1       212.9       205.6
                                   :
Extra light amber .................:   204.0       208.4       330.6       381.8       209.0       215.8
                                   :
Light amber, amber, dark amber ....:   197.3       207.7       405.1       423.4       219.2       232.3
                                   :
All other honey, area specialties .:   222.4       251.6       492.5       525.2       248.9       305.2
                                   :
All honey .........................:   205.8       206.4       382.4       406.6       214.1       216.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2013
[Producers with 5 or more colonies. 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 ----         cents    1,000 dollars
                      :
Alabama ..............:        7          52              364             55         285           1,037
Arizona ..............:       29          36            1,044            251         196           2,046
Arkansas .............:       22          60            1,320             66         202           2,666
California ...........:      330          33           10,890          2,505         211          22,978
Colorado .............:       26          43            1,118            324         210           2,348
Florida ..............:      220          61           13,420          1,074         203          27,243
Georgia ..............:       67          50            3,350            637         226           7,571
Hawaii ...............:       13          83            1,079             65         197           2,126
Idaho ................:       83          32            2,656          1,036         202           5,365
Illinois .............:        7          48              336            101         419           1,408
                      :
Indiana ..............:        6          47              282             82         277             781
Iowa .................:       39          48            1,872          1,217         245           4,586
Kansas ...............:        6          46              276             39         250             690
Kentucky .............:        3          41              123             17         325             400
Louisiana ............:       50          98            4,900            490         189           9,261
Maine ................:        7          43              301             27         314             945
Michigan .............:       85          55            4,675            982         216          10,098
Minnesota ............:      130          58            7,540          1,282         199          15,005
Mississippi ..........:       17         116            1,972             39         186           3,668
Missouri .............:       10          47              470             85         262           1,231
                      :
Montana ..............:      159          94           14,946          5,231         209          31,237
Nebraska .............:       46          60            2,760          1,628         207           5,713
New Jersey ...........:       11          44              484             34         419           2,028
New York .............:       55          48            2,640          1,030         212           5,597
North Carolina .......:       10          38              380             84         367           1,395
North Dakota .........:      480          69           33,120          6,955         204          67,565
Ohio .................:       17          45              765            390         329           2,517
Oregon ...............:       62          35            2,170            456         239           5,186
Pennsylvania .........:       13          45              585            257         303           1,773
South Dakota .........:      265          56           14,840          6,381         207          30,719
                      :
Tennessee ............:        7          45              315             63         355           1,118
Texas ................:      106          59            6,254          1,689         210          13,133
Utah .................:       30          34            1,020             92         209           2,132
Vermont ..............:        3          51              153             46         389             595
Virginia .............:        5          35              175             42         450             788
Washington ...........:       69          39            2,691          1,023         230           6,189
West Virginia ........:        6          46              276             83         366           1,010
Wisconsin ............:       59          60            3,540          1,558         238           8,425
Wyoming ..............:       47          66            3,102            558         211           6,545
                      :
Other States 5/ 6/ ...:       33          39            1,295            186         383           4,960
                      :
United States 6/ 7/ ..:    2,640          56.6        149,499         38,160         214.1       320,077
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Honey producing colonies are the maximum number of colonies from which honey was taken during the year.
   It is possible to take 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,
   Rhode Island, and South Carolina 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.
Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2014
[Producers with 5 or more colonies. 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 ----         cents    1,000 dollars
                      :
Alabama ..............:        7          53              371             26         340           1,261
Arizona ..............:       26          39            1,014            193         202           2,048
Arkansas .............:       21          65            1,365            137         200           2,730
California ...........:      320          39           12,480          2,995         203          25,334
Colorado .............:       27          37              999            200         200           1,998
Florida ..............:      245          60           14,700          1,029         208          30,576
Georgia ..............:       73          62            4,526            362         219           9,912
Hawaii ...............:       15          93            1,395            140         228           3,181
Idaho ................:      100          34            3,400            850         203           6,902
Illinois .............:        8          49              392             94         441           1,729
                      :
Indiana ..............:        5          62              310            115         324           1,004
Iowa .................:       35          43            1,505            933         251           3,778
Kansas ...............:        7          75              525             84         233           1,223
Kentucky .............:        5          47              235             56         393             924
Louisiana ............:       48          84            4,032            524         226           9,112
Maine ................:        8          47              376             41         536           2,015
Michigan .............:       91          63            5,733          1,835         250          14,333
Minnesota ............:      132          60            7,920          1,426         206          16,315
Mississippi ..........:       20         112            2,240             45         201           4,502
Missouri .............:       12          47              564             96         357           2,013
                      :
Montana ..............:      162          88           14,256          5,132         205          29,225
Nebraska .............:       50          75            3,750          1,688         210           7,875
New Jersey ...........:       12          30              360            119         298           1,073
New York .............:       60          55            3,300          1,518         272           8,976
North Carolina .......:       12          43              516             88         347           1,791
North Dakota .........:      490          86           42,140          9,271         200          84,280
Ohio .................:       15          61              915            256         352           3,221
Oregon ...............:       71          40            2,840            767         219           6,220
Pennsylvania .........:       17          46              782            203         275           2,151
South Carolina .......:        9          54              486             19         383           1,861
                      :
South Dakota .........:      280          87           24,360          5,846         209          50,912
Tennessee ............:        7          63              441             88         323           1,424
Texas ................:      116          78            9,048          2,081         223          20,177
Utah .................:       29          28              812            130         213           1,730
Vermont ..............:        3          58              174             61         503             875
Virginia .............:        6          41              246             57         507           1,247
Washington ...........:       68          44            2,992          1,167         248           7,420
West Virginia ........:        6          31              186             33         404             751
Wisconsin ............:       53          54            2,862          1,030         232           6,640
Wyoming ..............:       38          61            2,318            255         206           4,775
                      :
Other States 5/ 6/ ...:       31          45            1,404            202         358           5,026
                      :
United States 6/ 7/ ..:    2,740          65.1        178,270         41,192         216.1       385,241
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Honey producing colonies are the maximum number of colonies from which honey was taken during the year.
   It is possible to take 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.

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.