CATCH THE BUZZ
USDA Annual Honey Report, Plus the Extras
Below is the USDA ERS annual report on honey production and consumption. For even more information on this subject, see the April issue of Bee Culture magazine.
The combination of adverse weather and the ongoing colony collapse disorder of honey bees contributed to sharply lower honey yields and record low honey production in 2009. U.S. honey production declined by 12 percent or nearly 20 million pounds to 144 million pounds from 2008. Despite the 5.1-percent increase in the national number of honey-producing colonies in 2009, yield per colony fell by more than 16 percent on average. Double-digit production declines in 7 out of 10 major honey-producing States were closely matched by similar drops in yield.
Domestic consumption of honey in 2009, an indicator of use demand, significantly decreased by almost 28 million pounds as U.S. honey imports fell by 21 million pounds. The factors behind this sharp drop in demand are the U.S. economic recession in fiscal year 2009 and the record high average price of $1.45 per pound of natural honey. Per capita consumption of honey declined to 1.2 pounds from 1.3 pounds in 2008. Another indicator of weak domestic demand for honey is the 14-million-pound depletion of U.S. honey stocks by the end of 2009, which is also a consequence of lower U.S. production and imports.
Among the 10 major honey-producing States, yields declined by double digits in California, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Florida. Neighboring States also suffered as a result of above normal temperatures across parts of the Southwest and the South during the first half of 2009, which led to drought conditions in some parts of the West (as in Arizona) and loss of pasture.
Through the year, the Central and East North Central regions experienced cooler than normal temperatures. In addition, precipitation in the second half of 2009 was the fifth wettest on record, which is attributed to the emergence of the El Nino effect in the early summer. This abnormal weather in the major honey States compounded existing problems with mite infestation of bee colonies as seasonal pollination conditions were disrupted.
Average yields per bee colony in California dropped 35 percent, leading to a dramatic 6.6-million pound cut in the State’s honey production in 2009, which accounts for a third of the national 19.7-million-pound output loss. A similar situation occurred in South Dakota, the second largest producer after neighboring North Dakota, despite a 20-percent gain in the number of honey-producing colonies. North Dakota’s additional 50,000 new bee colonies in 2009 still resulted in a 3.8-percent slashing of its honey harvest as yield per colony slipped by more than 14 percent.
Nevertheless, the value of honey production in these States and in five other major States was cut by double-digit rates even as modest price increases were reported. A national loss of $24.5 million in honey production value was recorded in 2009, $9.2 million of which was from California and $3.9 million from South Dakota. The 9-percent reduction of imported honey, or 21 million pounds, was largely responsible for the 27.7 million-pound retreat in U.S. honey consumption. While the country’s reduced spending for food and beverages in 2009 (-$13.3 billion from 2008) accounted for much of this shrinkage in demand, the continued low purchasing power of the dollar contributed in part. In turn, U.S. honey stocks took a 27-percent plunge. The average import price of honey climbed 10 percent to $1.05 per pound in 2009 from 95 cents in 2008. The 2009 price represents more than 72 percent of the domestic honey price of $1.45 per pound on average. In 2006, this ratio was only 60 percent. Like domestic prices, import prices for natural honey are at record highs, which reflect the pervasive colony collapse disorder suffered by many foreign producers that limited international supply as well.
The share of imports in domestic honey consumption was 59 percent in 2009, down from a high of 65 percent in 2006. The largest sources of imported honey are Brazil and Vietnam at 39 and 38.4 million pounds, respectively, in 2009, representing a combined 37 percent of total U.S. imports of 210.4 million pounds. The next biggest foreign suppliers in terms of volume shipped are India and Argentina, followed by Malaysia and Canada. Before 2008, China trailed only Argentina as the top sources for imported honey. However, U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties against Chinese honey (and Argentinian honey) caused this source to dry up in 2009. The reduced shipments from China that started in 2007 were supplanted by increased imports from Southeast Asia, primarily Vietnam, followed by Malaysia, Indones ia, and Thailand. The investigation of Chinese honey transhipments (much by blending) through neighboring countries in Asia, such as Vietnam, is ongoing. Mongolia is another emerging supplier from Asia.
One other source of domestic honey is from imported live honey bees, both queen bees and whole colonies. The U.S. Census Bureau started reporting import values for live bees in 2009 from Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and smaller numbers from Canada and Costa Rica. Australia is by far the largest exporter to date. However, no import quantity or volume is reported for live bees as yet. According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, bees from New Zealand are transhipped to Canada. Thus, to partly replenish the domestic bee population that has gradually been decimated over the past two decades, domestic honey producers are now importing foreign live queen bees and colonies.
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