PIERRE, SD – Honey production in 2021 from South Dakota producers with five or more colonies totaled 12.3 million pounds, down 18% from 2020, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. South Dakota ranked second in the nation for honey production.
There were 250,000 honey producing colonies in South Dakota during 2021, up 2% from 2020.
Average yield was 49 pounds per colony, down 12 pounds from 2020. Producer stocks were 5.27 million pounds on December 15, 2021, down from 8.67 million pounds a year earlier.
Prices for the 2021 crop averaged $2.27 per pound, up from $1.77 per pound in 2020. Prices were based on retail sales by producers and sales to private processors and cooperatives. Total value of honey produced in 2021 was $27.8 million, up 5% from 2020
