Honey ISSN: 1949-1492 Released February 25, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Special Note NASS is in the process of modifying report layouts in order to improve readability. This is the first issue produced using the new layout. This report issue is published using both layouts but future issues will only be produced using this layout. The previous layout is available on the NASS website: http://www.nass.usda.gov. United States Honey Production Up 20 Percent Honey production in 2010 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 176 million pounds, up 20 percent from 2009. There were 2.68 million colonies producing honey in 2010, up 7 percent from 2009. Yield per colony averaged 65.5 pounds, up 12 percent from the 58.6 pounds in 2009. 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 45.3 million pounds on December 15, 2010, up 21 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 2010 to 160.3 cents per pound, up 9 percent from 147.3 cents per pound in 2009. 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 2009 crop reflect honey sold in 2009 and 2010. Some 2009 crop honey was sold in 2010, which caused some revisions to the 2009 crop prices. Honey Price by Color Class - United States: 2009 and 2010 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Price :----------------------------------------------------------------------- Color class : Co-op and private : Retail : All :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : cents per pound : Water white, extra white, white ...: 142.6 156.2 252.6 293.7 144.0 158.3 : Extra light amber .................: 144.5 151.4 252.5 251.6 150.4 156.6 : Light amber, amber, dark amber ....: 135.1 148.2 291.4 329.2 148.2 164.1 : All other honey, area specialties .: 179.8 171.7 414.3 433.5 247.9 205.0 : All honey .........................: 141.5 153.1 283.7 305.4 147.3 160.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2009 [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 ..............: 9 50 450 68 186 837 Arizona ..............: 20 52 1,040 562 145 1,508 Arkansas .............: 24 57 1,368 301 142 1,943 California ...........: 355 33 11,715 2,109 139 16,284 Colorado .............: 28 53 1,484 326 143 2,122 Florida ..............: 170 68 11,560 1,618 142 16,415 Georgia ..............: 65 41 2,665 346 147 3,918 Hawaii ...............: 10 95 950 323 176 1,672 Idaho ................: 103 46 4,738 1,706 152 7,202 Illinois .............: 8 34 272 57 255 694 : Indiana ..............: 9 32 288 101 202 582 Iowa .................: 26 42 1,092 339 160 1,747 Kansas ...............: 9 63 567 164 185 1,049 Kentucky .............: 5 35 175 25 271 474 Louisiana ............: 37 103 3,811 610 136 5,183 Maine ................: 6 50 300 51 195 585 Michigan .............: 66 60 3,960 1,505 155 6,138 Minnesota ............: 122 65 7,930 1,427 144 11,419 Mississippi ..........: 14 104 1,456 87 132 1,922 Missouri .............: 11 47 517 57 199 1,029 : Montana ..............: 146 70 10,220 3,577 146 14,921 Nebraska .............: 48 56 2,688 1,102 146 3,924 New Jersey ...........: 11 32 352 70 236 831 New Mexico ...........: 7 60 420 143 159 668 New York .............: 45 65 2,925 936 193 5,645 North Carolina .......: 11 45 495 84 257 1,272 North Dakota .........: 450 77 34,650 7,623 138 47,817 Ohio .................: 11 50 550 132 281 1,546 Oregon ...............: 55 34 1,870 767 154 2,880 Pennsylvania .........: 21 40 840 319 203 1,705 : South Dakota .........: 270 66 17,820 6,237 142 25,304 Tennessee ............: 7 51 357 86 237 846 Texas ................: 89 63 5,607 1,065 139 7,794 Utah .................: 26 38 988 198 146 1,442 Vermont ..............: 5 49 245 69 201 492 Virginia .............: 6 39 234 56 345 807 Washington ...........: 62 44 2,728 1,064 158 4,310 West Virginia ........: 5 37 185 33 260 481 Wisconsin ............: 63 60 3,780 1,588 158 5,972 Wyoming ..............: 37 48 1,776 391 143 2,540 : Other States 5/ 6/ ...: 26 52 1,348 194 237 3,195 : United States 6/ 7/ ..: 2,498 58.6 146,416 37,516 147.3 215,671 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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/ 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. Number of Colonies, Yield, Production, Stocks, Price, and Value - States and United States: 2010 [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 ..............: 9 54 486 73 222 1,079 Arizona ..............: 24 77 1,848 665 143 2,643 Arkansas .............: 25 60 1,500 360 147 2,205 California ...........: 410 67 27,470 6,318 156 42,853 Colorado .............: 34 56 1,904 533 150 2,856 Florida ..............: 200 69 13,800 1,794 157 21,666 Georgia ..............: 55 46 2,530 152 167 4,225 Hawaii ...............: 10 77 770 239 227 1,748 Idaho ................: 98 27 2,646 1,191 150 3,969 Illinois .............: 9 41 369 92 305 1,125 : Indiana ..............: 10 43 430 151 226 972 Iowa .................: 27 49 1,323 463 189 2,500 Kansas ...............: 9 52 468 103 229 1,072 Kentucky .............: 5 67 335 67 264 884 Louisiana ............: 21 80 1,680 269 148 2,486 Maine ................: 6 41 246 39 211 519 Michigan .............: 70 58 4,060 1,502 164 6,658 Minnesota ............: 126 66 8,316 1,746 154 12,807 Mississippi ..........: 16 98 1,568 78 147 2,305 Missouri .............: 11 52 572 92 180 1,030 : Montana ..............: 157 74 11,618 2,905 155 18,008 Nebraska .............: 44 55 2,420 1,041 149 3,606 New Jersey ...........: 13 35 455 73 175 796 New Mexico ...........: 7 66 462 157 158 730 New York .............: 47 64 3,008 1,173 178 5,354 North Carolina .......: 13 46 598 138 273 1,633 North Dakota .........: 510 91 46,410 12,995 151 70,079 Ohio .................: 17 62 1,054 327 223 2,350 Oregon ...............: 59 39 2,301 874 162 3,728 Pennsylvania .........: 30 37 1,110 377 205 2,276 : South Dakota .........: 265 59 15,635 4,847 154 24,078 Tennessee ............: 8 63 504 106 245 1,235 Texas ................: 100 72 7,200 792 153 11,016 Utah .................: 26 30 780 195 152 1,186 Vermont ..............: 4 65 260 73 221 575 Virginia .............: 5 37 185 37 331 612 Washington ...........: 71 37 2,627 1,077 152 3,993 West Virginia ........: 5 38 190 38 239 454 Wisconsin ............: 68 64 4,352 1,654 167 7,268 Wyoming ..............: 34 36 1,224 282 160 1,958 : Other States 5/ 6/ ...: 26 46 1,190 219 256 3,046 : United States 6/ 7/ ..: 2,684 65.5 175,904 45,307 160.3 281,974 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. 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 1.1 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 2.68 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 past 10 years] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Root mean : 90 percent : Difference between first and latest estimate : square error : confidence : : : : : : : level :------------------------------------------------------------- Item : : : : : : Years : : : : : :------------------------------- : : : Average :Smallest : Largest : Below latest : Above latest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent 1,000 1,000 1,000 ----- number ---- : Honey producing colonies .....: 1.1 2.0 20 1 50 7 3 : Honey production .............: 0.8 1.4 800 64 2,928 6 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 nass@nass.usda.gov Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch .......................................... (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section ................... (202) 720-4447 Doug Bounds - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ............ (202) 720-3106 David Colwell - Cold Storage ................................................ (202) 720-8784 Chris Hawthorn - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .. (202) 720-0585 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs .................................................. (202) 690-8632 Troy Marshall - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Honey ................... 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