Honey Publication

Honey
ISSN: 1949-1492

Released March 18, 2013, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

United States Honey Production Down 1 Percent
Honey production in 2012 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 147 million pounds, down 1 percent from
2011. There were 2.62 million colonies producing honey in 2012, up 5 percent from 2011. Yield per colony averaged 56.1
pounds, down 6 percent from the 59.6 pounds in 2011. 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 32.9 million pounds on December 15, 2012, down 10 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by
producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

Record High Honey Prices
Honey prices increased to a record high during 2012 to 195.1 cents per pound, up 11 percent from 176.5 cents per pound
in 2011. 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 2011 crop reflect honey sold in 2011 and 2012. Some 2011 crop honey was sold in 2012, which caused some revisions
to the 2011 crop prices.
Honey Price by Color Class – United States: 2011 and 2012
Price
Color class

Co-op and private

Retail

All

2011

2012

2011

2012

2011

2012

(cents per
pound)

(cents per
pound)

(cents per
pound)

(cents per
pound)

(cents per
pound)

(cents per
pound)

Water white, extra white, white ..........................

170.1

189.9

274.1

296.9

172.9

191.4

Extra light amber ...............................................

164.4

189.6

307.1

293.5

171.1

194.3

Light amber, amber, dark amber ........................

165.7

179.4

315.4

350.1

183.4

200.2

All other honey, area specialties ........................

182.6

210.2

461.0

522.7

225.2

286.5

All honey ............................................................

167.7

187.8

314.7

340.5

176.5

195.1

Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value – States and United States: 2011
[Producers with 5 or more colonies. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State]
State

Honey
producing
colonies 1

Yield
per
colony

Production

Stocks
December 15 2

Average
price per
pound 3

Value
of
production 4

(1,000)

(pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(cents)

(1,000 dollars)

Alabama ...............................
Arizona .................................
Arkansas ...............................
California ..............................
Colorado ...............................
Florida ...................................
Georgia .................................
Hawaii ...................................
Idaho .....................................
Illinois ....................................

9
23
22
370
31
180
65
9
87
7

50
53
64
48
55
61
43
74
36
50

450
1,219
1,408
17,760
1,705
10,980
2,795
666
3,132
350

63
427
239
3,730
443
988
196
246
1,879
98

251
155
162
165
200
168
165
365
178
390

1,130
1,889
2,281
29,304
3,410
18,446
4,612
2,431
5,575
1,365

Indiana ..................................
Iowa ......................................
Kansas ..................................
Kentucky ...............................
Louisiana ..............................
Maine ....................................
Michigan ...............................
Minnesota .............................
Mississippi ............................
Missouri ................................

8
25
7
4
36
4
74
120
18
8

51
62
44
39
77
30
64
53
115
43

408
1,550
308
156
2,772
120
4,736
6,360
2,070
344

147
961
117
12
471
17
2,084
2,099
104
76

214
196
215
317
167
198
181
163
153
214

873
3,038
662
495
4,629
238
8,572
10,367
3,167
736

Montana ................................
Nebraska ..............................
New Jersey ...........................
New Mexico ..........................
New York ..............................
North Carolina .......................
North Dakota .........................
Ohio ......................................
Oregon ..................................
Pennsylvania ........................

145
41
11
7
49
14
460
15
60
24

92
59
41
56
56
62
71
66
34
44

13,340
2,419
451
392
2,744
868
32,660
990
2,040
1,056

3,202
653
135
153
1,235
95
7,512
228
755
306

170
175
370
169
196
283
167
234
168
255

22,678
4,233
1,669
662
5,378
2,456
54,542
2,317
3,427
2,693

South Dakota ........................
Tennessee ............................
Texas ....................................
Utah ......................................
Vermont ................................
Virginia ..................................
Washington ...........................
West Virginia .........................
Wisconsin .............................
Wyoming ...............................

250
7
78
23
4
4
71
4
57
35

66
44
58
39
43
40
38
53
63
54

16,500
308
4,524
897
172
160
2,698
212
3,591
1,890

4,290
68
633
170
43
21
836
45
1,508
265

170
293
178
175
231
407
193
257
189
172

28,050
902
8,053
1,570
397
651
5,207
545
6,787
3,251

Other States 5 6 .....................

25

46

1,156

211

299

3,456

United States 6 7 ....................

2,491

148,357

36,761

59.6

176.5

261,850

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, 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.

2

Honey (March 2013)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value – States and United States: 2012
[Producers with 5 or more colonies. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State]
State

Honey
producing
colonies 1

Yield
per
colony

Production

Stocks
December 15 2

Average
price per
pound 3

Value
of
production 4

(1,000)

(pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(cents)

(1,000 dollars)

Alabama ...............................
Arizona .................................
Arkansas ..............................
California ..............................
Colorado ...............................
Florida ..................................
Georgia ................................
Hawaii ..................................
Idaho ....................................
Illinois ...................................

8
22
26
340
26
199
62
10
96
7

54
46
63
35
48
64
51
75
32
61

432
1,012
1,638
11,900
1,248
12,736
3,162
750
3,072
427

65
253
197
3,213
487
1,274
190
263
553
145

243
170
184
193
212
181
189
319
161
340

1,050
1,720
3,014
22,967
2,646
23,052
5,976
2,393
4,946
1,452

Indiana .................................
Iowa ......................................
Kansas .................................
Kentucky ...............................
Louisiana ..............................
Maine ...................................
Michigan ...............................
Minnesota .............................
Mississippi ............................
Missouri ................................

9
38
7
5
41
4
76
130
19
7

59
61
55
51
86
34
57
67
118
53

531
2,318
385
255
3,526
136
4,332
8,710
2,242
371

228
1,229
146
41
141
24
1,386
1,655
67
108

244
211
235
318
177
225
203
188
163
256

1,296
4,891
905
811
6,241
306
8,794
16,375
3,654
950

Montana ...............................
Nebraska ..............................
New Jersey ...........................
New Mexico ..........................
New York ..............................
North Carolina ......................
North Dakota ........................
Ohio ......................................
Oregon .................................
Pennsylvania ........................

149
44
14
5
52
13
495
19
62
17

52
65
33
52
51
39
69
60
32
60

7,748
2,860
462
260
2,652
507
34,155
1,140
1,984
1,020

2,479
1,173
51
99
1,008
106
6,148
433
873
286

191
191
188
313
228
369
189
242
211
262

14,799
5,463
869
814
6,047
1,871
64,553
2,759
4,186
2,672

South Dakota ........................
Tennessee ............................
Texas ...................................
Utah ......................................
Vermont ................................
Virginia .................................
Washington ..........................
West Virginia ........................
Wisconsin .............................
Wyoming ..............................

270
7
95
26
4
4
64
7
63
51

63
61
52
38
60
41
41
48
69
51

17,010
427
4,940
988
240
164
2,624
336
4,347
2,601

3,742
68
741
217
53
23
1,050
111
1,956
468

194
285
200
185
234
385
235
280
204
182

32,999
1,217
9,880
1,828
562
631
6,166
941
8,868
4,734

Other States 5 6 .....................

31

47

1,444

172

304

4,390

United States 6 7 ....................

2,624

147,092

32,922

56.1

195.1

286,976

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, 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.

Honey (March 2013)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

Statistical Methodology
Survey Procedures: Data for honey producing operations are collected from a stratified sample of all known producers
with five or more colonies. 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 five or more colonies are mailed a
questionnaire and given adequate time to respond by mail or electronic data reporting (EDR). Those that do not respond
by mail or EDR are telephoned or possibly 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. Estimates will also be reviewed after data from the 5-year Census of Agriculture are available. No revisions will be
made after that date.
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 “Root Mean Square Error” is shown for selected
items in the following table. The “Root Mean Square Error” is a statistical measure based on past performance and is
computed using the differences between first and final estimates. The “Root Mean Square Error” for honey producing
colonies over the past 10 years is 1.0 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be
above or below the current estimate of 2.62 million colonies by more than 1.0 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the
difference will not exceed 1.8 percent.

Reliability of Honey Estimates
[Based on data for the past 10 years]
Item

Root mean
square error
(percent)

Difference between first and latest estimate

90 percent
confidence
level

Average

Smallest

Largest

(percent)

(1,000)

(1,000)

(1,000)

Years
Below latest

Above latest

(number)

(number)

Honey producing colonies ..............

1.0

1.8

16

-

50

7

2

Honey production ...........................

0.8

1.4

771

-

2,928

6

3

- Represents zero.

4

Honey (March 2013)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to
contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to [email protected]
Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch .......................................................................................................... (202) 720-3570
Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section .................................................................. (202) 720-4447
Cody Brokmeyer – Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised .............................................. (202) 690-3237
David Colwell – Cold Storage .................................................................................................................. (202) 720-8784
LaKeya Jones – Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production,
Census of Aquaculture, Honey, Mink ................................................................................................. (202) 720-0585
Dawn Keen – Egg Products ...................................................................................................................... (202) 720-4448
Kim Linonis – Layers, Eggs ..................................................................................................................... (202) 690-8632
Miste Salmon – Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery .............................................................................. (202) 720-3244

Honey (March 2013)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

5

Access to NASS Reports
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For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540,
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: [email protected].
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