Florida Honey Production Continues To Decline

    The United States Department of Agriculture has released data on the state of honey production, and while the country appears to be experiencing a slight uptick in the industry, Florida continues to see a decline, one that is accelerating.
   Data indicates Florida produced just 4.7 million pounds of honey during 2023, down from 7.3 million in 2022. Florida still leads the four-state region that includes Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, though both Alabama and South Carolina experienced slight upticks in production in 2022. Alabama rose to 2.1 million pounds from 1.9 million, and South Carolina rose to $2.6 million from $2.5 million. Georgia fell to 8.7 million from 10.1 million.
   There was a slower decline in production per colony, down to 32 pounds from 35.
   While Floridians might think the continued decline of the citrus industry is to blame for the state’s drop in production, local producer Jerry Latner says orange blossom production has been way down for some time.
   "We're down because of gallberry," Latner said, stating that the gallberry crop sunk by nearly two-thirds last year. Additionally, hive collapse continues to be an issue, contributing to the decrease in per-colony production in Florida.
   Overall, honey production in the United States was posted at 139 million pounds last year, with the USDA noting an 11% increase over the year before. Total hives were marked at 2.51 million, a 6% decrease over 2022. Yield per colony actually rose nationwide, to 55.2 pounds, up 17%.
   Latner said much of the national increase can be attributed to increased production in the midwestern states.