Honey

Press Kit: Honey Industry Facts

HOBBYIST/PART-TIME BEEKEEPERS     
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that there are between 139,600 and 212,000 beekeepers in the United States.  The vast majority (95%) are hobbyists with less than 25 hives and about 4% are part-timers who keep from 25 to 299 hives.  Together, hobbyists and part-timers account for about 50 percent of bee colonies and about 40 percent of honey produced.  The number of U.S. bee colonies producing honey in 2008 was 2.3 million (based on beekeepers who manage five or more colonies).

COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPERS 
Commercial beekeepers are those with 300 or more bee colonies.  There are approximately 1,600 commercial beekeeping operations in the United States which produce about 60 percent of the nation’s honey.  Many commercial beekeepers migrate their colonies during the year to provide pollination services to farmers and to reach the most abundant sources of nectar.  Commercial beekeeping operations are frequently family businesses that are handed down from generation to generation.

2009 HONEY CROP
Honey production in 2009 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 144 million pounds, down 12 percent from 2008. Yield per colony averaged 58.5 pounds, down 16 percent from the 69.9 pounds in 2008, and is the lowest yield since 1989.  The average producer price per pound was $1.445.  The 2009 honey crop was valued at $208 million.¹

LEADING PRODUCTION STATES
Honey is produced in every state.  The following states are the top five honey producing states for 2009:

State	Pounds Produced	Dollar Value of Production
North Dakota	34,650,000	$47,471,000
South Dakota	17,820,000	$24,770,000
California	11,715,000	$16,284,000
Florida	10,220,000	$14,819,000
Minnesota	10,200,000	$14,076,000

¹National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Feb. 26, 2010.

CONSUMPTION
The U.S. per capita consumption of honey is around 1.29 pounds per year.

AGRICULTURE’S DEPENDENCE
Millions of acres of U.S. fruit, vegetable, oilseed and legume seed crops depend on insect pollination, including honey bees.  A 1999 Cornell University study concluded that the direct value of honey bee pollination annually to U.S. agriculture is $14.6 billion.  This is a 56.7% increase from $9.3 billion determined by the same study in 1989.

ADDED VALUE
In addition to producing honey, honey bees produce beeswax and help pollinate agricultural crops, home gardens and wildlife habitat.
The USDA has estimated that 80 percent of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honey bees.  Approximately one-third of the total human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants (fruits, legumes and vegetables).

CROP DEPENDENCE   
The almond crop is entirely dependent on honey bee pollination— without honey bees, there would be no almonds.  California is responsible for more than half of the world’s production of almonds.  To pollinate California’s approximately 420,000 bearing acres of almonds, it is estimated that it takes between 900,000 and 1,000,000 colonies of honey bees.
Numerous other crops are 90 percent dependent on honey bee pollination.  Some of those crops include apples, avocados, blueberries, cherries, cranberries and sunflowers.  Other crops such as alfalfa, cucumbers, kiwi fruit, melons and vegetables are also pollinated by honey bees.
       
LIVESTOCK FEED       
The production of most beef and dairy products consumed in the United States is dependent on insect-pollinated legumes (alfalfa, clover, etc.).  One half of all alfalfa seed produced comes from California.  Approximately 220,000 colonies of honey bees are used to pollinate alfalfa fields for seed production.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE           
The first colony of bees ever rented for pollination purposes was in 1909 for pollinating apples.  The practice of renting bees to pollinate crops is expanding.  Most pollination services available to growers in the United States are provided by commercial beekeepers.  Approximately 2,500,000 colonies are rented for pollination each year and the average value of these crops is over $5.7 billion dollars.