by Bob Simon
In 2021 U.S production of honey was 126 million pounds. In the same year the U.S honey consumption reached a new record of 618 million pounds according to an update from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. department of agriculture.
To complete that deficit created by limited domestic honey production and in par due to the growing population the U.S had imported in 2021, 74% of total honey supplies. For this period the top three U.S honey suppliers provide 71% of the honey imported.
The quantity of honey produced in 2021 went down 14% from previous year. this issue is due to lower yield per colony. But the declined of honey production is worldwide.
According to FAO report, Bees and other pollinators are declining in abundance in many parts of the world largely due to intensive farming practices, mono-cropping, excessive use of agricultural chemicals and higher temperatures associated with climate change, affecting not only crop yields but also nutrition.
“Bees are under great threat from the combined effects of climate change, intensive agriculture, pesticides use, biodiversity loss and pollution,” said FAO’s Director-General José Graziano da Silva in a video message recorded for this year’s World Bee Day. “The absence of bees and other pollinators would wipe out coffee, apples, almonds, tomatoes and cocoa to name just a few of the crops that rely on pollination. Countries need to shift to more pollinator-friend
U.S honey production import honey since the last exceeded domestic production in 2005. The honey imported come from different countries. In the past 30 years the mix of top honey exporters to the United States has changed, partly due to trade-related issues. In the last decade the top three foreign countries suppliers are from India, Vietnam and Argentina.
The increase demand also impacts honey prices. With the drop in production, the national average price paid to producers in last year was $2.21 per pound.
Among nearest exported countries of honey to United States there was Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic. In the past 20 years Haiti stopped to supply the U.S honey demand. The Dominican Republic still exported to U.S.A but the quantity had been decreased over years. Even Canada had decreased the quantity of honey exported to U.S.A.
DC of Tampa 