sd-crop-livestock

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office ? Sioux Falls, SD

Media contact:  South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov



SOUTH DAKOTA HONEY PRODUCTION DOWN


SIOUX FALLS, February 28, 2006 – South Dakota’s 2005 honey production totaled 17.38 million pounds, down 23 percent from last year, according to the South Dakota Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.   A late spring freeze and dry conditions negatively affected vegetation and pollination resulting in less honey production despite an increase in the total number of colonies.  South Dakota honey production ranked third in the nation behind North Dakota and California, respectively.

The number of honey producing colonies in the state, at 220,000, was up 5,000 colonies from 2004. Honey production per colony, at 79 pounds, was down 26 pounds from 2004.    Over the previous five years, the state has averaged 225,000 colonies producing an average of 82 pounds of honey per colony.  

The price received by producers decreased 24 percent in 2005, from $1.00 per pound to $0.76 per pound.  The 2005 value of production, at $13.21 million, is down 41 percent from $22.58 million in 2004.





Access this complete report at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/zho-bb/hony0206.pdf