There is a very interesting article about world honey production in the
latest "Gleanings" (March '97).  The article ranks the top honey
producers in the world and gives the percentage of crop that is exported
from the producing countries.  Very interesting reading.  As Allen points
out, production in China is down (reasons sited in the article were poor
weather and declining government incentives for producers).  From memory,
the top 3 producers were China, U.S. and Argentina whereas China is (was?)
the top exporter followed by Argentina.  The U.S. exports very little of
its harvest (around 4%).  So with China falling off, Argentina becomes
its own biggest competetor on the world market.  Figures in the article
were through 1995.
 
With all the export figures given it made me wonder where all the exports
were going.  I would like to have seen a third table ranking the world's
honey consumers.  But the good news is that demand is at least keeping
pace with supply and it does not appear that there will be a glut of
honey on the world market in the immediate future, hence price paid for
honey looks stable.  This jives with price predictions given by Dr.
Morse at the Empire State Honey Producers convention in Syracuse last
November.  One might speculate that with higher prices, beekeepers in
the global community will be gearing up for increased production, but
so far this hasn't happened.  Expanders beware however that this is a
commodities market subject as always to supply and demand.
 
Aaron Morris - rambling while waiting for the snow to melt.