Domestic beekeepers collected 183 million pounds of honey in 2022, the largest amount in 25 years, according to the latest Census of Agriculture. The United States is the 10th largest honey producer in the world and the number of beekeeping operations grew by 30 percent since the previous census, in 2017, said USDA’s monthly Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook report.
The 2022 census counted a record 3.8 million honeybee colonies, up 30 percent in five years, said the USDA. “The growth in colonies compensated for an 8 percent decline in the 2022 U.S. average honey yield per colony.” Yield per colony was 48 pounds in 2022, down from 52 pounds in 2017. “The declining trend in U.S. honey yield can be attributed to several factors, including a shifting focus toward providing pollination services, threats to bee health from pests and parasites, and decreased floral foraging resources,” said USDA analysts.
North Dakota was the leading honey state, producing 41 percent of the U.S. total, followed by California, Florida, Minnesota, and Montana. Honey is produced in every state, according to the ag census.
The Sugar Outlook report also said Mexico, a key U.S. supplier, would produce its smallest amount of sugar in 25 years due to “unsuitable weather conditions … and suboptimal application of inputs (such as fertilizer) due to high costs.” Sugar exports to the United States would fall to 399,000 metric tons, compared to 989,000 tons in 2022/23.