The average production in the 1950s and 1960s was 240 million pounds, dropping to 209 million during the 1970s and 1980s. As beekeeping operations have increased in size, production per colony has been higher, averaging 66 pounds per colony since 1986. Outfits of less than five hives were dropped from production figures in the 1986, inflating this average. The value of honey production has increased over the years. The report only covers up to 1993 and, therefore, does not reflect current prices, driven even lower by a recent flood of imports.
Most beekeepers supply pollination free as a byproduct of their honey-producing activities.
About a million colonies are estimated to be involved in commercial pollination. This value is estimated to increase in the future. However, it would also provide some income protection in a sluggish and weak honey market. Although not providing beekeepers with income because loans are repayable with interest, it could be a source of working capital. Controlling imports using import quotas or tariff-rate quotas would eliminate beekeeper dependence on the honey program for income.