Honey - release

Honey
Washington, D.C.

Released February 27, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department
of Agriculture. For information on Honey call Sharyn Lavender at (202) 720-3244, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

United States Honey Production Up 8 Percent
Honey production in 2008 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 161 million pounds, up
8 percent from 2007. There were 2.30 million colonies producing honey in 2008, down 6 percent from
2007. Yield per colony averaged 69.9 pounds, up 15 percent from the 60.7 pounds in 2007. Colonies which
produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced.
Therefore, yields 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 50.4 million pounds on
December 15, 2008, down 4 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude stocks held under
the commodity loan program.
Honey Prices Record High
Honey prices increased to a record high during 2008 to 141.0 cents, up 31 percent from 107.7 cents in 2007.
U.S. and State level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through retail, cooperatives, and private
channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing
channel. Honey prices for 2008 were up from the previous year for all color classes and marketing channels.
Prices for the 2007 crop reflect honey sold in 2007 and 2008. Some 2007 crop honey was sold in 2008,
which caused some revisions to the 2007 crop prices.

Honey: Price by Color Class, United States, 2007-08
Price
Color Class

Co-op and Private

Retail

All

2007

2008

2007

2008

2007

2008

Cents per Pound

Cents per Pound

Cents per Pound

Cents per Pound

Cents per Pound

Cents per Pound

103.0

138.6

172.8

192.4

104.6

141.2

Extra Light Amber

97.5

133.6

188.0

205.4

106.4

139.1

Light Amber,
Amber, Dark Amber

93.8

125.5

218.3

235.7

112.5

139.6

132.7

135.7

291.1

302.9

175.6

197.6

99.9

134.0

204.6

219.7

107.7

141.0

Water White,
Extra White, White

All Other Honey,
Area Specialties
All Honey

Hny 1 (2-09)

State

Honey: Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price,
and Value by State and United States, 2007 1 2
Honey
Average
Yield
Stocks
Production
Price per
Producing
per
4
Dec 15
Colonies 3
Pound 5
Colony
1,000

AL
AZ
AR
CA
CO
FL
GA
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MI
MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND
OH
OR
PA
SD
TN
TX
UT
VT
VA
WA
WV
WI
WY
Oth
Sts 7 8
US 8 9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Pounds

1,000 Pounds

1,000 Pounds

Value
of
Production 6

Cents

1,000 Dollars

11
30
28
340
31
160
60
10
92
9
8
26
14
4
29
9
72
130
15
14
135
45
10
9
6
53
12
420
14
46
25
255
7
105
28
5
6
46
6
60
43

56
64
80
40
51
71
58
92
41
63
53
81
40
61
89
26
64
68
92
46
68
49
28
57
59
57
45
74
61
43
42
52
65
82
42
64
46
44
48
84
80

616
1,920
2,240
13,600
1,581
11,360
3,480
920
3,772
567
424
2,106
560
244
2,581
234
4,608
8,840
1,380
644
9,180
2,205
280
513
354
3,021
540
31,080
854
1,978
1,050
13,260
455
8,610
1,176
320
276
2,024
288
5,040
3,440

209
902
672
3,672
838
1,363
522
285
1,848
374
119
1,221
196
54
413
59
2,350
2,564
166
148
2,479
1,477
67
185
138
1,843
76
9,013
376
1,088
326
10,608
114
1,550
270
96
63
648
95
3,024
894

149
126
95
104
115
99
119
170
115
249
150
131
118
212
108
132
119
104
91
112
99
103
299
196
142
138
249
96
177
131
170
102
199
96
113
170
243
125
209
122
100

918
2,419
2,128
14,144
1,818
11,246
4,141
1,564
4,338
1,412
636
2,759
661
517
2,787
309
5,484
9,194
1,256
721
9,088
2,271
837
1,005
503
4,169
1,345
29,837
1,512
2,591
1,785
13,525
905
8,266
1,329
544
671
2,530
602
6,149
3,440

15

48

720

230

266

1,915

148,341

52,635

2,443

60.7

107.7

159,763

For producers with 5 or more colonies. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State.
Revised.
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.
Stocks held by producers.
Average price per pound based on expanded sales.
Value of production is equal to production multiplied by average price per pound.
CT, DE, MD, MA, NH, OK, RI, and SC not published separately to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
Summation of States will not equal U.S. level value of production.

Honey
February 2009

2

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

State

Honey: Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price,
and Value by State and United States, 2008 1
Honey
Average
Yield
Stocks
Production
Price per
Producing
per
3
Dec 15
Colonies 2
Pound 4
Colony
1,000

AL
AZ
AR
CA
CO
FL
GA
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MI
MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND
OH
OR
PA
SD
TN
TX
UT
VT
VA
WA
WV
WI
WY
Oth
Sts 6 7
US 7 8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Pounds

1,000 Pounds

1,000 Pounds

Value
of
Production 5

Cents

1,000 Dollars

9
25
28
360
27
150
55
10
90
8
6
24
10
4
29
7
71
122
14
11
134
36
10
9
6
50
12
390
14
50
23
225
7
77
28
5
6
41
6
58
39

66
64
75
51
45
79
71
90
40
56
67
62
61
39
77
42
73
78
98
53
70
67
29
40
48
70
52
90
53
43
48
95
61
64
48
66
42
44
43
80
61

594
1,600
2,100
18,360
1,215
11,850
3,905
900
3,600
448
402
1,488
610
156
2,233
294
5,183
9,516
1,372
583
9,380
2,412
290
360
288
3,500
624
35,100
742
2,150
1,104
21,375
427
4,928
1,344
330
252
1,804
258
4,640
2,379

214
336
525
4,039
656
1,304
312
225
1,440
116
129
580
128
27
246
79
2,021
2,569
110
152
4,596
1,254
52
122
95
1,260
137
8,424
371
1,097
276
11,970
149
1,380
242
119
45
722
49
2,366
381

186
125
131
141
150
130
149
148
142
246
161
156
152
236
133
150
143
139
130
178
137
142
237
158
148
150
212
135
188
148
165
134
204
134
156
179
218
150
198
140
137

1,105
2,000
2,751
25,888
1,823
15,405
5,818
1,332
5,112
1,102
647
2,321
927
368
2,970
441
7,412
13,227
1,784
1,038
12,851
3,425
687
569
426
5,250
1,323
47,385
1,395
3,182
1,822
28,643
871
6,604
2,097
591
549
2,706
511
6,496
3,259

15

51

765

130

229

1,752

160,861

50,445

2,301

69.9

141.0

226,814

For producers with 5 or more colonies. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State.
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.
Stocks held by producers.
Average price per pound based on expanded sales.
Value of production is equal to production multiplied by average price per pound.
CT, DE, MD, MA, NH, OK, RI, and SC not published separately to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
Summation of States will not equal U.S. level value of production.

Honey
February 2009

3

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Reliability Statement
Survey Procedures: Data for honey producing operations are collected from a stratified sample of all
known producers with 5 or more colonies. States with small populations are not sampled, instead a complete
census is surveyed. Individual NASS Field Offices maintain a list of all known honey producers and use
known sources of producers to update their lists. All sampled honey producers with 5 or more colonies are
mailed a questionnaire and given adequate time to respond by mail. Those that do not respond by mail are
telephoned or enumerated in person. Prices are collected by color class and marketing channel.
Estimation Procedures: Sound statistical methodology is employed to derive the estimates from reported
data. All data are analyzed for unusual values. Data from each operation are compared to their own past
operating profile and to trends from similar operations. Data for missing operations were estimated based on
similar operations or historical data. State offices prepare these estimates by using a combination of survey
indications and historic trends. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for
each marketing channel. Individual State estimates are reviewed by the Agricultural Statistics Board for
reasonableness.
Revision Policy: The previous year=s estimates are subject to revision when current year=s estimates are
made. Revisions are the result of late reports or corrected data. Price revisions can be the result of
additional sales reported the following year.
Reliability: Since all honey producing operations are not included in the sample, survey estimates are
subject to sampling variability. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omissions,
duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. While these errors cannot be
measured directly, they are minimized through strict quality controls in the data collection process and a
careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness.
To assist in evaluating the reliability of the estimates in this report, the ARoot Mean Square Error@ is shown
for selected items in the following table. The ARoot Mean Square Error@ is a statistical measure based on
past performance and is computed using the differences between first and final estimates. The ARoot Mean
Square Error@ for honey producing colonies over the past 10 years is 0.9 percent. This means that chances
are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 2.30 million colonies
by more than 0.9 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 1.7 percent.

Item

Root
Mean
Square
Error
Percent

Honey
Producing
Colonies
Honey
Production
1

Reliability of Honey Estimates 1
Difference Between
90 Percent
First and Latest
Confidence
Estimates
Level
Average
Smallest
Largest
Percent

1,000

1,000

1,000

Number of Years

1,000

First
Above
Latest

First
Below
Latest

Number

Number

0.9

1.7

38

16

0

50

2

7

0.4

0.8

1,215

514

0

2,182

3

6

Based on data for the past 10 years.

Honey
February 2009

4

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service to contact for additional information.
Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch .................................................................................(202) 720-3570
Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section..........................................(202) 720-4447
David Colwell - Cold Storage ...........................................................................................(202) 720-8784
Fleming Gibson - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised..........................(202) 690-3237
Sharyn Lavender - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Honey......................................(202) 720-3244
Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ..............................................................................................(202) 690-8632
Bruce Boess - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production,
Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .........................................(202) 720-4447

Honey
February 2009

5

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

ACCESS TO REPORTS!!
For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services:
INTERNET ACCESS
All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and
go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov.
E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION
All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. Starting with the
NASS Home Page at www.nass.usda.gov, under the right navigation, Receive reports by Email, click on
National or State. Follow the instructions on the screen.
--------------------------------PRINTED REPORTS OR DATA PRODUCTS
CALL OUR TOLL-FREE ORDER DESK: 800-999-6779 (U.S. and Canada)
Other areas, please call 703-605-6220
FAX: 703-605-6900
(Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order acceptable for payment.)
---------------------------------ASSISTANCE
For assistance with general agricultural statistics or further information about NASS or its products or services,
contact the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail:
[email protected].

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status,
parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part
of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all
programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and
TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA
is an equal opportunity provider and employer.