Honey - Publication

Honey
ISSN: 1949-1492

Released March 17, 2023, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

United States Honey Production Down 1 Percent in 2022
United States honey production in 2022 totaled 125 million pounds, down 1 percent from 2021. There were 2.67 million
colonies producing honey in 2022, down 1 percent from 2021. Yield per colony averaged 47.0 pounds, unchanged from
2021. 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 23.3 million pounds on
December 15, 2022, down 1 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the
commodity loan program.

Honey Prices Up 12 Percent in 2022
United States honey prices increased 12 percent during 2022 to $2.96 per pound, compared to $2.65 per pound in 2021.
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 2021
crop reflect honey sold in 2021 and 2022. Some 2021 crop honey was sold in 2022, which caused some revisions to the
2021 crop prices.

Price Paid per Queen was 22 Dollars in 2022
The average prices paid in 2022 for honey bee queens, packages, and nucs were $22, $98, and $129, respectively.
Pollination income for 2022 was $241 million, down 11 percent from 2021. Other income from honey bees in 2022 was
$55.2 million, down 31 percent from 2021. These estimates, along with expenditure and apiary worker information, can
be found on page 4 of this report.

Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value – States and United States: 2021
[Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State]
State

Honey
producing
colonies 1
(1,000)

Yield
per
colony

Production

Stocks
December 15 2

Average
price per
pound 3

Value
of
production 4

(pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(1,000 pounds)

(dollars)

(1,000 dollars)

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

8
26
17
290
29
193
96
20
100
10

40
40
50
33
40
44
34
93
30
46

320
1,040
850
9,570
1,160
8,492
3,264
1,860
3,000
460

112
364
255
1,627
232
849
261
74
270
115

5.22
2.58
2.12
2.42
3.01
2.58
2.72
2.22
2.32
5.49

1,670
2,683
1,802
23,159
3,492
21,909
8,878
4,129
6,960
2,525

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

10
38
7
7
37
11
100
125
25
8

52
55
42
37
58
34
51
57
71
35

520
2,090
294
259
2,146
374
5,100
7,125
1,775
280

177
502
144
73
172
60
1,938
285
71
92

4.09
2.45
3.07
4.92
2.49
3.43
3.00
2.99
2.85
4.49

2,127
5,121
903
1,274
5,344
1,283
15,300
21,304
5,059
1,257

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

117
38
15
57
13
515
16
86
20
15

57
47
35
53
39
55
64
31
42
42

6,669
1,786
525
3,021
507
28,325
1,024
2,666
840
630

1,934
536
158
665
96
2,266
389
693
336
63

2.19
2.48
3.44
3.98
6.69
2.23
3.64
2.27
3.86
5.93

14,605
4,429
1,806
12,024
3,392
63,165
3,727
6,052
3,242
3,736

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

250
8
137
31
6
6
96
6
42
38

49
56
56
33
47
40
32
43
47
58

12,250
448
7,672
1,023
282
240
3,072
258
1,974
2,204

5,268
81
384
92
65
79
1,290
132
750
242

2.40
4.84
2.32
2.36
4.02
8.17
2.51
5.14
3.09
2.09

29,400
2,168
17,799
2,414
1,134
1,961
7,711
1,326
6,100
4,606

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

28

48

1,349

340

5.37

7,244

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

2,697

126,744

23,532

2.65

335,872

1

2
3
4
5
6
7

2

47.0

Honey producing colonies are the maximum number of colonies from which honey was harvested during the year. It is possible to harvest honey f rom
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.
Includes data for States not published in this table.
Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
United States value of production will not equal summation of States.

Honey (March 2023)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value – States and United States: 2022
[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)

(dollars)

(1,000 dollars)

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

10
23
20
305
31
210
103
94
10

40
45
56
38
42
35
32
29
47

400
1,035
1,120
11,590
1,302
7,350
3,296
2,726
470

84
476
426
811
339
368
99
627
141

4.85
2.69
2.68
2.66
3.26
3.25
3.07
2.66
6.19

1,940
2,784
3,002
30,829
4,245
23,888
10,119
7,251
2,909

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

9
48
6
7
42
10
82
102
21
8

63
51
62
36
61
23
41
51
95
41

567
2,448
372
252
2,562
230
3,362
5,202
1,995
328

261
710
167
68
487
64
706
728
60
151

5.11
2.81
3.65
5.70
2.47
6.49
3.04
2.79
3.13
5.13

2,897
6,879
1,358
1,436
6,328
1,493
10,220
14,514
6,244
1,683

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

123
34
16
54
13
520
19
92
23
13

61
44
39
53
39
60
66
37
46
39

7,503
1,496
624
2,862
507
31,200
1,254
3,404
1,058
507

2,176
598
62
916
198
4,680
464
1,191
487
91

2.64
2.82
4.00
3.61
6.79
2.63
3.48
3.15
5.81
5.78

19,808
4,219
2,496
10,332
3,443
82,056
4,364
10,723
6,147
2,930

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

185
9
157
26
6
7
86
7
53
30

39
47
53
46
47
38
32
39
55
45

7,215
423
8,321
1,196
282
266
2,752
273
2,915
1,350

2,814
102
166
120
121
45
660
98
816
230

2.58
5.73
3.29
3.00
7.04
7.77
3.11
5.25
3.04
2.64

18,615
2,424
27,376
3,588
1,985
2,067
8,559
1,433
8,862
3,564

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

53

63

3,316

501

3.67

12,170

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

2,667

125,331

23,309

2.96

370,980

1

2
3
4
5
6
7

47.0

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.
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.
Includes data for States not published in this table.
Due to rounding, total colonies multiplied by total yield may not exactly equal production.
United States value of production will not equal summation of States.

Honey (March 2023)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

Honey Price by Color Class – United States: 2021 and 2022
Co-op and private

Color class

2021

Retail

2022

2021

All
2022

2021

2022

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

(dollars per
pound)
2.33

(dollars per
pound)
2.69

(dollars per
pound)
5.36

(dollars per
pound)
5.62

(dollars per
pound)
2.43

(dollars per
pound)
2.81

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

2.34

2.65

4.15

5.62

2.47

2.75

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

2.52

2.81

5.55

6.14

2.98

3.15

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

2.64

3.41

6.48

7.86

3.76

4.02

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

2.40

2.74

5.27

6.04

2.65

2.96

Income and Expenditures – United States: 2021 and 2022
[Represents income and expenditures on the total number of colonies, regardless of whether honey was harvested]
Item

2021

2022

(1,000 dollars)

(1,000 dollars)

Income
Pollination income ...............................................................................................
Other income 1 ....................................................................................................

270,690
80,174

241,042
55,188

Expenditures
Varroa control and treatment .............................................................................
Other colony issues 2 ..........................................................................................
Feed 3 ..................................................................................................................
Foundation ..........................................................................................................
Hives/woodenware .............................................................................................

11,565
3,066
42,582
7,064
9,863

13,724
5,096
44,517
6,934
10,835

1
2
3

Includes sales of queens, queen cells, beeswax, propolis, etc.
Includes Nosema, tracheal mites, foulbrood, paralysis, Kashmir, cloudy wing, etc.
Includes syrup, sugar water, honey, pollen patties, and other feeds.

Queen, Package, and Nuc Prices Paid – United States: 2021 and 2022
[Represents prices paid on the total number of colonies, regardless of whether honey was harvested]
Item
2021

2022

(dollars)
Queen ..................................................................................................................
Package ..............................................................................................................
Nuc ......................................................................................................................

(dollars)
20
91
125

22
98
129

Apiary Workers – United States: 2021 and 2022
[Represents number of paid and unpaid workers that worked with colonies, regardless of whether honey was harvested]
Item

2021

2022

(workers)

(workers)

Apiary workers ....................................................................................................

24,000

25,000

4

Honey (March 2023)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Statistical Methodology
Survey Procedures: Data for honey producing operations are collected from a stratified sample of all known operations
with at least 5 honey bee colonies that also meet USDA’s definition of a farm. To qualify as a farm, an operation must be
any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold,
during the year. NASS Regional Field Offices maintain a list of all known operations and use known sources of
operations to update their lists. All sampled operations 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 from operations with five or more colonies.
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 followin g
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 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 1.1 percent. This means that chances are 1 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be
above or below the current estimate of 2.67 million colonies by more than 1.1 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the
difference will not exceed 2.0 percent.

Reliability of Honey Estimates
[Based on data for the previous ten 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 ...............

1.1

2.0

13

-

85

7

1

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

1.2

2.1

874

-

4,796

7

1

- Represents zero.

Honey (March 2023)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

5

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]
Travis Averill, Chief, Livestock Branch ...................................................................................................... (202) 692-0069
Jean Porter, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section ................................................................... (202) 690-3223
Holly Brenize – Poultry Slaughter.......................................................................................................... (202) 720-0585
Liana Cuffman – Catfish and Trout, Mink, Census of Aquaculture ....................................................... (202) 720-8784
Fatema Haque – Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ............................................................................... (202) 720-3244
Derron Martin – Chicken Hatchery, Egg Products ................................................................................. (202) 690-3237
Seth Riggins – Honey, Honey Bee Colonies .......................................................................................... (202) 690-4870
Shulonda Shaw – Cold Storage, Capacity of Refrigerated Warehouses ................................................. (202) 720-3240
Autumn Stone – Layers, Eggs ............................................................................................................... (202) 690-3676
Takiyah Walker – Broiler Hatchery........................................................................................................ (202) 720-6147

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