Honey is truly a world commodity. Trends in worldwide production and consumption can provide insight into future planning by individual beekeepers and the industry. The editors of Bee World recently published World Honey Crop Report 22 (1984). According to the report, the 1984 honey harvest was estimated at 940.0 metric tons as compared to preceeding years: 1983, 934.1; 1982, 908.8; 1981, 879.7; 1980, 837.4; 1979, 877.3. The following table provides estimates for selected countries:
Country Production Total Consumption Per capita Consumption
(1000 tons) (1000 tons) in Kilograms (Kg)
1983 1984 1983 1984
Argentina 33.0 4.9 4.9 0.2 0.2
Brazil 27.0 22.5 27.0 0.2 0.2
Canada 44.1 24.3 24.0 1.0 1.0
Mexico 55.0 8.0 8.0 0.1 0.1
USA 95.0 126.5 136.4 0.5 0.6
German Fed. Rep. 18.0 76.0 80.0 1.2 1.3
USSR 198.0 176.0 177.0 0.6 0.6
Japan 7.5 39.5 42.5 0.3 0.4
Australia 24.5 12.4 12.4 0.8 0.6
China 115.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a
World Production = 934.1 metric tons
n/a = figures not available
The trend for small annual increases in world honey production continues,
attributed to increases in number of colonies by leading producers and improved
yields per colony. The following figures show changes in colony numbers and
yield per colony.
Country No. colonies (1000s) Honey per colony (kg) Honey per
Change since 1980-1984 colony (kg)
1984 1983 Min-Max Average 1984
Canada 692 +7 46.0-63.8 53.3 63.8
Mexico 2300 0 21.4-29.6 25.4 23.9
USA 4350 +75 20.0-24.5 22.0 21.8
Argentina 1300 0 23.1-30.0 24.9 23.1
Brazil 1700 +100 13.3-15.9 14.0 15.9
China 5700 0 15.3-23.9 20.5 20.2
Japan 291 -8 19.2-25.8 22.3 25.8
Australia 540 0 39.0-48.5 43.7 45.4
Ger. Fed. Rep. 1060 -12 12.1-17.7 15.1 17.0
USSR 8200 +100 22.3-24.2 23.4 24.1
Consumption in 1984 is expected to exceed production, but world stocks will
probably increase to 153.8 thousand metric tons because of trade imbalance.
Significantly higher consumption is expected in the USA, Brazil, West Germany
and Japan. In Brazil, increase in domestic consumption has practically
eliminated export availabilites. During 1983, USSR, Mexico and France
increased exports by 42, 48 and 90 percent, respectively, whereas imports
increased in the USA and Japan by 19 and 18 percent, respectively.
The following are preliminary estimates of 1983 exports and imports in metric tons:
Exports Imports
Canada 9522 Canada 284
Costa Rica 284 USA 49823
Cuba 3000 -----
Dominican Republic 700 Total 50107
El Salvador 2600
Guatemala 3000 Austria 5000
Honduras 500 Belgium/Luxem. 6600
Mexico 59405 Denmark 2500
USA 3384 Finland 250
----- France 8324
Total 82395 German Fed. Rep. 66385
Irish Rep. 718
Argentina 29227 Italy 11300
Brazil 1 Netherlands 8005
Chile 1500 Portugal 400
----- Sweden 2400
Total 30738 Switzerland 4766
United Kingdom 20743
Yugoslavia 4300
Belgium/Luxem. 2750 -----
Bulgaria 3500 Total 141691
Czechoslovakia 1200
France 2974 Hong Kong 1154
German Fed. Rep. 9409 Japan 33180
Greece 1550 Singapore 650
Hungary 9000 -----
Netherlands 2391 34984
Poland 100
Romania 2650 Algeria 500
Spain 3000 ----
United Kingdom 1455 Total 500
Yugoslavia 250
----
Total 40299
Total USSR 19890
China 64339
Israel 400
Australia 12998
New Zealand 2000
Grand Total 252989 Grand Total 227282
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (352) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: (352)-392-0190
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis.htm
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
©1986 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved