COLUMBUS — Ohio honey production for 2018 totaled 1.02 million pounds, down 7% from 2017. This estimate included honey from producers with five or more colonies.
Ohio
Yields from Ohio’s 14,000 honey producing colonies averaged 73 pounds in 2018, unchanged from the previous year. Ohio honey price averaged $3.61 per pound, up 37 cents per pound from last year.
Value of production totaled $3.69 million, up 4% from 2017. Honey stocks were 491,000 pounds, down 25% from 2017.
U.S. Nationally, honey production in 2018 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 152 million pounds, up 2% from 2017.
There were 2.80 million colonies producing honey in 2018, up 4% from 2017. Yield per colony averaged 54.4 pounds, down 2% from the 55.5 pounds in 2017.
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 29.1 million pounds Dec. 15, 2018, down 5% from a year earlier.
Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program. United States honey prices decreased 2% during 2018 to 216.6 cents per pound, compared to 219.9 cents per pound in 2017.
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 2017 crop reflect honey sold in 2017 and 2018. Some 2017 crop honey was sold in 2018, which caused some revisions to the 2017 crop prices.
