US demand for honey far outweighs domestic production

Imported honey skyrocketed in 2017 to meet consumer demand, according to an analysis by USDA's Economic Research Service. More than half of all honey consumed in the U.S. has been imported since 2006. But imported honey accounted for 70 percent of honey consumed in the U.S. in 2017, an all-time high. India supplied most of the 2017 imported honey supply, while Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil and Ukraine rounded out the top five countries sending honey to the U.S. Those five countries supplied more than three-quarters of the honey imports. Wholesale prices neared the 2014 record of 216.1 cents per pound, with an average cost of 215.6 cents per pound. Domestic honey yields of 55.3 pounds per colony were down 5.2 percent from 2016, at the lowest levels since 1989.