Overview 
In 2005, USDA reports indicated that more than 2.4 million honey-producing colonies (down 6 percent from 2004) generated 175 million pounds of raw honey (down 5 percent from 2004) worth $158 million dollars. States leading in production include (in order) North Dakota, California, South Dakota, and Florida. The average price for domestically produced honey was $0.90 per pound in 2005, down 15 percent from $1.07 in 2004. (Source: NASS, February 2006.)  

Demand
According to USDA records, U.S. consumption is nearly 350 million pounds of which 200 millions pounds are typically produced domestically. To meet demand, the United States imported 225.8 million pounds of honey in 2005, primarily from China, Argentina, Vietnam and Canada (Source: National Honey Board.). March 2007 . . . Bees

Other Links

    Marketing

• American Beekeeping Federation - Membership organization for American beekeepers.
• American Honey Producers Association
• Apimondia, International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations - International organization creating links among beekeepers around the world.
• Apiservices Beekeeping Development - Promotion of beekeeping with advice columns, feasibility studies, market studies, equipment tests and software.
• Bee-conomics and the Leap in Pollination Fees, University of California Agricultural Issues Center, April 2006 - Paper describing honeybee supply and demand issues and the operation of the pollination market. Commercial pollination services are mostly provided by honeybees through a long-standing and well-organized market. Recently, honeybee pests and other problems have reduced available supplies, while expansion of almond acreage has increased peak-season demand. The resulting leap in pollination fees follows from these market fundamentals.
• The International Bee Research Association - Nonprofit organization promoting the study and conservation of bees through research.
• National Honey Board - Promoting the research, awareness and use of honey and honey products.
• BeeHoo - World's beekeeping directory.
• National Honey Packers & Dealers Association 

    Production

• Beekeeping, Agricultural Alternatives, Penn State University, 2001.
• Beekeeping, Scottish Ag College, 2006 - Beekeeping is mostly carried out in Scotland by amateurs with three or four hives, but there are a few successful full-time professional bee farmers, each with several hundred hives. 
• Beekeeping/Apiculture, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), 2003.
• Bees and Pollination, Ohio State University. 
• Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA, Tucson, Arizona. 
• Declining Bee Population Threatens Major Growers, National Public Radio, October 18, 2006.
• Honey, NASS, USDA, February 2007 -  The annual report of the number of colonies producing honey, honey production, average price, and so on. 
• Honey Bee Insemination Service - Provider of insemination training, consulting, equipment and services to insemination as well as genetic research.
• Michigan State University Apiculture Laboratory - Researching the value of honey bees for both production and pollination.
• Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium, Penn State University - The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC) is a regional effort to address the pest management crisis facing the beekeeping industry in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• USDA Beekeeping Research - Collection of USDA beekeeping research posted by the American Beekeeping Federation.

    Businesses/Case Studies

• Small Town Hives Make Big Buzz, Market to Market, Iowa Public Television, January 31, 2003.