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Overview
Beekeeping is an important agricultural industry in Canada, producing honey and other hive products, and delivering valuable pollination services to farmers of orchard fruits, many berries, vegetables, forage, and the production of hybrid canola seed. In 2017, AAFC estimated that the total annual economic contribution of honey bee pollination through direct additional harvest value was about $2.57 billion. When the estimated contribution of honey bee pollination to the production of hybrid canola seed is added, the total estimated contribution ranges from $4.0 to $5.5 billion per year.
The 2020 beekeeping season was affected by the disruptions in travel and transportation related to COVID-19. Limited travel options for Seasonal and Temporary Foreign Workers prevented or delayed the arrival of the workforce critical to beekeeping operations. COVID-related transportation disruptions affected the supply of imported replacement queen and package bees. These important supplies are shipped from a limited number of approved places including Australia, New Zealand, Chile, California, and Hawaii for queens; and Australia, New Zealand, Chile for 'package' bees (a few pounds of worker bees and a mated queen bee to be placed in a hive box on arrival). These replacement bees complement domestic supplies, and typically arrive in the early spring to address hive losses and replace weak queen bees after the winter has passed.
Honey production in Canada in 2020, by volume, fell 4.3% from a year earlier to 82.9 million pounds. The spring of 2020 revealed higher than average over winter hive losses in Alberta with loss rates of 40.5% in a year where the national average of 30.2%. These losses coincided with COVID-related disruptions to the supply of some imported replacement bee supplies, notably for package bees. The total honey harvest by volume was at its lowest in eight years. Despite this, thanks to sustained robust prices for honey, the total value of the 2020 harvest rose 14.9% (over 2019) to $208.8 million.
1. Production
While beekeeping businesses operate in all provinces, the majority of honey bee colonies in Canada are kept in the Prairies, where long summer days and a favourable crop mix are ideal for foraging. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba collectively accounted for 67% of the country's total honey bee colonies and for 80% of total honey production by volume. Alberta contributed the most to Canada's overall honey production (36%), followed by Manitoba (25%) and Saskatchewan (19%).
Honey producers in Alberta had 9.5% fewer producing colonies in 2020 compared to a year earlier, partially due to poor spring and early summer conditions, as well as higher than average over-winter losses. Production fell 4.8% from a year earlier to 29.9 million pounds in 2020. COVID-19 related transportation challenges reduced the available labour supply and curtailed the number of imported package bees arriving from New Zealand and Australia to approximately one third of the quantity ordered arriving in Canada. Imported replacement queen bees were somewhat less affected, with over 80% of the orders arriving on time. In 2020, Saskatchewan saw an estimated year-over-year reduction in total honey bee colonies of 13% with a reduction in the total honey harvest by volume of 23%. In contrast, over the same period, Manitoba saw a rise in the total number of colonies by 3% and an increase in the total honey harvest of 13% by volume.
There were 11,785 beekeepers in Canada in 2020, up 1,262 from a year earlier and almost two-thirds higher compared with a decade earlier. This increase is driven by higher honey prices and sustained levels of public interest in beekeeping and pollinators. As well, the industry has relatively low cost barriers to entry, and offers a natural scalability for growing the operation, where successful.
Despite the year-over-year decrease in total national honey production of 4.3%, the total value of honey sold rose 14.9% to $208.8 million as tightened international supply pushed world prices higher. Producers received an estimated national average price of $2.52 per pound for their honey, up from $2.10 per pound a year earlier, an increase of 20.1%.
1.1 Number of beekeepers[1] by province
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 40 | 46 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 0% |
| Nova Scotia | 451 | 604 | 631 | 690 | 796 | 7% |
| New Brunswick | 351 | 374 | 388 | 415 | 450 | 4% |
| Quebec | 384 | 402 | 425 | 440 | 440 | 4% |
| Ontario | 2,896 | 3,331 | 3,026 | 2,506 | 2,856 | 24% |
| Manitoba | 662 | 746 | 834 | 905 | 914 | 9% |
| Saskatchewan | 1,150 | 1,044 | 1,059 | 1,101 | 1,050 | 10% |
| Alberta | 1,453 | 1,420 | 1,572 | 1,653 | 1,604 | 16% |
| British Columbia | 2,640 | 2,640 | 2,676 | 2,763 | 3,645 | 26% |
| Canada[2] | 10,027 | 10,589 | 10,661 | 10,523 | 11,785 | 100.0% |
| Notes:
[1] Beekeeper numbers may include pollinators that may not extract honey.
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1.2. Number of colonies[1] by province
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 4,920 | 6,300 | 4,453 | 3,591 | 4,250 | 0.6% |
| Nova Scotia | 31,080 | 26,426 | 25,446 | 25,716 | 21,600 | 2.9% |
| New Brunswick | 7,000 | 7,100 | 8,141 | 4,120 | 4,307 | 0.6% |
| Quebec | 64,426 | 61,020 | 60,439 | 66,700 | 54,000 | 7.2% |
| Ontario | 97,342 | 105,244 | 100,413 | 90,675 | 101,989 | 13.7% |
| Manitoba | 102,030 | 111,802 | 114,098 | 114,668 | 118,697 | 15.9% |
| Saskatchewan | 112,000 | 115,000 | 114,000 | 115,000 | 100,000 | 13.4% |
| Alberta | 309,000 | 317,000 | 311,000 | 314,800 | 285,000 | 38.2% |
| British Columbia | 39,885 | 40,776 | 52,033 | 55,781 | 56,769 | 7.6% |
| Canada[2] | 767,683 | 790,668 | 790,023 | 791,051 | 746,612 | 100.0% |
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Notes:
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1.3. Number of beekeepers and number of colonies by province
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0353-01 Production and value of honey
Description of the image above.
Number of beekeepers and number of colonies by province
| Province | Number of beekeepers 2020 | Number of colonies 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 30 | 4,250 |
| Nova Scotia | 796 | 21,600 |
| New Brunswick | 450 | 4,307 |
| Quebec | 440 | 54,000 |
| Ontario | 2,856 | 101,989 |
| Manitoba | 914 | 118,697 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,050 | 100,000 |
| Alberta | 1,604 | 285,000 |
| British Columbia | 3,645 | 56,769 |
1.4. Total honey production[1] by province – thousands of pounds
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 162 | 231 | 168 | 181 | 159 | 0.2% |
| Nova Scotia | 588 | 553 | 522 | 390 | 389 | 0.5% |
| New Brunswick | 287 | 201 | 469 | 218 | 176 | 0.2% |
| Quebec | 4,507 | 3,723 | 4,472 | 3,963 | 3,526 | 4.3% |
| Ontario | 8,880 | 6,087 | 8,174 | 7,963 | 8,527 | 10.3% |
| Manitoba | 15,202 | 19,120 | 18,710 | 18,350 | 20,650 | 24.9% |
| Saskatchewan | 22,848 | 21,965 | 20,520 | 20,240 | 15,700 | 18.9% |
| Alberta | 40,170 | 40,576 | 38,564 | 31,418 | 29,925 | 36.1% |
| British Columbia | 1,934 | 3,556 | 3,397 | 3,907 | 3,843 | 4.6% |
| Canada[2] | 94,578 | 96,012 | 94,996 | 86,630 | 82,896 | 100.0% |
|
Notes:
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1.5. Production value[1] of honey by province – thousands of Canadian dollars
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 445 | 666 | 393 | 423 | 332 | 0.2% |
| Nova Scotia | 1,686 | 1,586 | 1,574 | 1,073 | 810 | 0.4% |
| New Brunswick | 661 | 511 | 1,430 | 666 | 548 | 0.3% |
| Quebec | 15,074 | 15,120 | 16,655 | 15,408 | 13,000 | 6.2% |
| Ontario | 31,966 | 20,257 | 34,329 | 29,437 | 36,241 | 17.4% |
| Manitoba | 21,000 | 32,268 | 32,786 | 32,997 | 48,938 | 23.4% |
| Saskatchewan | 27,418 | 34,045 | 33,858 | 32,384 | 31,400 | 15.0% |
| Alberta | 62,388 | 71,359 | 66,472 | 58,188 | 63,715 | 30.5% |
| British Columbia | 8,622 | 14,292 | 13,320 | 11,040 | 13,780 | 6.6% |
| Canada[2] | 169,260 | 190,104 | 200,816 | 181,615 | 208,763 | 100.0% |
| Notes:
[1] Value excludes inventory sales except for in Quebec. [2] Newfoundland and Labrador is excluded since the province has limited beekeeping. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0353-01 Production and value of honey |
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2. Trade
Demand for Canadian honey continues to grow from both domestic and import markets. While Canadian beekeepers routinely produce more honey than can be consumed domestically, a growing proportion of Canadian production is consumed domestically, which reduces surpluses available for export. With a reduced total harvest in 2020, this further reduced the volume of honey available for export. In 2020, exports of Canadian honey totaled $47 million, down 12% from 2019.
In 2020, in terms of value, honey exports to Japan rose 33% compared to 2019, surpassing exports to the United States to which exports fell 42% during the same period. In fact, exports to Japan accounted for 50% of total exports in 2020 while these exports only accounted for 33% in 2019. On the other hand, exports to the United States accounted for 41% of total exports in 2020 compared to 62% in 2019. The Canadian industry has been working with a number of export markets to diversify and grow export sales volumes and price premiums resulting in changes in export patterns.
Canada imported $43 million worth of honey by value in 2020, down 6% from 2019. Honey from New Zealand topped the list of imported honey by value with a total import value of $14 million. Most imports from New Zealand are specialty mono-floral honey produced from the nectar of the Manuka tree which commands exceptionally high prices. Brazil, the largest source of imported honey in terms of volume, was the second largest source in terms of value with $6 million. Most honey imported from Brazil was organic honey.
In the spring and early summer of each year Canadian beekeepers import replacement queen bees and 'package' bees from a short list of approved source regions and countries to supplement domestic production. In recent years beekeepers imported about 40,000 'packages' annually of replacement bees to rapidly rebuild hive numbers in the spring. In 2020, COVID-19 related transportation challenges curtailed the number of imported package bees arriving from New Zealand and Australia resulting in beekeepers receiving about 14,000 packages, or one third of the total quantity of package bees ordered. Imported replacement queen bees were less affected, with over 80% of the orders arriving on time, primarily from Hawaii and California.
2.1. Trade balance
2.1.1. Canada's honey trade balance – thousands of Canadian dollars
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export | 71,838 | 76,986 | 78,011 | 53,827 | 47,371 |
| Import | 38,064 | 41,284 | 36,787 | 45,396 | 42,567 |
| Trade Balance (Exports − Imports) | 33,774 | 35,702 | 41,224 | 8,431 | 4,804 |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | |||||
2.2. Exports
2.2.1. Canada's honey exports by province[1] – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0% |
| Nova Scotia | 61 | 126 | 15 | 60 | 113 | 0.2% |
| Quebec | 6,158 | 5,446 | 4,602 | 4,098 | 6,200 | 13.1% |
| Ontario | 2,212 | 3,864 | 6,362 | 5,722 | 2,527 | 5.3% |
| Manitoba | 17,060 | 19,310 | 13,033 | 11,943 | 16,407 | 34.6% |
| Saskatchewan | 11,346 | 19,928 | 20,511 | 11,097 | 7,230 | 15.3% |
| Alberta | 33,433 | 27,150 | 31,749 | 19,735 | 14,387 | 30.4% |
| British Columbia | 1,490 | 1,160 | 1,739 | 1,172 | 506 | 1.1% |
| Canada | 71,838 | 76,986 | 78,011 | 53,827 | 47,371 | 100.0% |
| Notes:
[1] Exports may include honey not produced in that province. Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) |
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2.2.2. Canada's honey exports by province – by volume (metric tonnes)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nova Scotia | 7 | 22 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 0.2% |
| Quebec | 1,021 | 1,006 | 838 | 611 | 965 | 10.4% |
| Ontario | 378 | 828 | 1,219 | 1,006 | 398 | 4.3% |
| Manitoba | 4,580 | 5,242 | 3,160 | 2,959 | 3,358 | 36.1% |
| Saskatchewan | 3,551 | 5,541 | 5,127 | 2,735 | 1,630 | 17.5% |
| Alberta | 8,113 | 6,372 | 7,958 | 4,358 | 2,852 | 30.6% |
| British Columbia | 215 | 186 | 284 | 171 | 85 | 0.9% |
| Total | 17,879 | 19,196 | 18,587 | 11,847 | 9,309 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.2.3. Canada's top 10 honey export destinations – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 17,045 | 12,432 | 12,643 | 17,884 | 23,735 | 50.1% |
| United States | 50,894 | 60,878 | 62,005 | 33,615 | 19,363 | 40.9% |
| China | 2,396 | 1,981 | 1,903 | 1,403 | 1,648 | 3.5% |
| Hong Kong | 271 | 460 | 347 | 154 | 688 | 1.5% |
| South Korea | 559 | 550 | 696 | 503 | 671 | 1.4% |
| Germany | 0 | 1 | 81 | 0 | 580 | 1.2% |
| Saudi Arabia | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 113 | 0.2% |
| United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 0.2% |
| India | 95 | 366 | 2 | 0 | 70 | 0.1% |
| Kuwait | 84 | 23 | 13 | 5 | 60 | 0.1% |
| Others | 484 | 293 | 321 | 263 | 350 | 0.7% |
| Total | 71,838 | 76,986 | 78,011 | 53,827 | 47,371 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.2.4. Canada's top 10 honey export destinations – by volume (metric tonnes)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 3,719 | 2,799 | 2,785 | 3,575 | 4,362 | 46.9% |
| United States | 13,553 | 15,762 | 15,221 | 7,872 | 4,143 | 44.5% |
| China | 323 | 323 | 326 | 209 | 295 | 3.2% |
| South Korea | 105 | 109 | 124 | 128 | 135 | 1.4% |
| Hong Kong | 40 | 72 | 55 | 19 | 120 | 1.3% |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 117 | 1.3% |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0.2% |
| Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0.2% |
| Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.2% |
| United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.2% |
| Others | 138 | 131 | 57 | 45 | 66 | 0.7% |
| Total | 17,879 | 19,196 | 18,587 | 11,847 | 9,309 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.3. Imports
2.3.1. Canada's honey imports by province – by value (Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Scotia | 2,062 | 8,467 | 2,151 | 73,381 | 3,314 | 0.0% |
| New Brunswick | 216 | 7,236 | 30,121 | 6,999 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Quebec | 13,932,715 | 12,355,678 | 10,782,748 | 10,816,955 | 11,302,033 | 26.6% |
| Ontario | 17,958,821 | 24,630,510 | 19,685,017 | 27,542,742 | 24,398,345 | 57.3% |
| Manitoba | 305,147 | 71,679 | 15,403 | 44,322 | 28,442 | 0.1% |
| Saskatchewan | 13,854 | 4,800 | 20,361 | 69,443 | 531 | 0.0% |
| Alberta | 1,165,645 | 27,557 | 837,443 | 737,141 | 824,615 | 1.9% |
| British Columbia | 4,685,144 | 4,178,387 | 5,413,726 | 6,104,441 | 6,009,636 | 14.1% |
| Total | 38,063,604 | 41,284,314 | 36,786,970 | 45,395,715 | 42,566,916 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.3.2. Canada's honey imports by province – by volume (kilograms)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Scotia | 317 | 790 | 420 | 21,805 | 787 | 0.0% |
| New Brunswick | 51 | 291 | 3,193 | 316 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Quebec | 3,417,813 | 2,633,238 | 2,501,286 | 2,896,369 | 3,079,785 | 43.1% |
| Ontario | 2,476,506 | 3,585,028 | 2,306,117 | 3,150,676 | 3,658,983 | 51.2% |
| Manitoba | 39,739 | 9,204 | 1,176 | 5,224 | 2,460 | 0.0% |
| Saskatchewan | 936 | 313 | 1,359 | 2,333 | 176 | 0.0% |
| Alberta | 223,966 | 3,407 | 24,264 | 24,591 | 25,546 | 0.4% |
| British Columbia | 400,887 | 418,136 | 369,337 | 409,923 | 374,815 | 5.2% |
| Canada | 6,560,215 | 6,650,407 | 5,207,152 | 6,511,256 | 7,142,552 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.3.3. Canada's top 10 sources of honey imports – by value (Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 7,120,281 | 9,560,170 | 12,759,495 | 17,470,382 | 14,122,496 | 33.2% |
| Brazil | 10,515,234 | 7,384,459 | 4,226,571 | 6,882,630 | 5,859,961 | 13.8% |
| United States | 4,207,803 | 2,667,256 | 3,213,364 | 2,539,091 | 4,930,800 | 11.6% |
| India | 1,550,297 | 2,017,945 | 2,315,223 | 3,397,364 | 3,341,630 | 7.9% |
| Australia | 3,629,420 | 3,102,488 | 3,008,351 | 3,110,225 | 2,718,950 | 6.4% |
| Thailand | 808,688 | 1,855,794 | 4,011,223 | 3,476,340 | 2,450,216 | 5.8% |
| Spain | 3,024,203 | 3,120,697 | 1,490,462 | 2,606,030 | 2,012,699 | 4.7% |
| Greece | 1,171,384 | 1,226,620 | 1,290,162 | 1,282,118 | 1,439,014 | 3.4% |
| Viet Nam | 547,875 | 900,211 | 480,712 | 275,952 | 1,355,986 | 3.2% |
| Saudi Arabia | 780,354 | 951,138 | 958,894 | 1,297,348 | 989,351 | 2.3% |
| Others | 4,708,065 | 8,497,536 | 3,032,513 | 3,058,235 | 3,345,813 | 7.9% |
| Total | 38,063,604 | 41,284,314 | 36,786,970 | 45,395,715 | 42,566,916 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.3.4. Canada's top 10 sources of honey imports – by volume (kilograms)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2,134,017 | 1,279,957 | 912,555 | 1,809,262 | 1,748,100 | 24.5% |
| United States | 652,406 | 468,534 | 566,482 | 574,633 | 1,147,664 | 16.1% |
| India | 429,116 | 505,506 | 745,286 | 1,091,658 | 1,079,458 | 15.1% |
| Thailand | 230,849 | 483,515 | 970,078 | 891,102 | 699,513 | 9.8% |
| Viet Nam | 164,054 | 325,886 | 215,813 | 129,324 | 544,362 | 7.6% |
| Spain | 646,681 | 734,823 | 314,974 | 529,098 | 415,875 | 5.8% |
| New Zealand | 298,498 | 346,451 | 344,490 | 412,172 | 331,467 | 4.6% |
| Greece | 164,416 | 177,721 | 137,907 | 142,338 | 255,182 | 3.6% |
| Australia | 393,654 | 333,891 | 324,098 | 279,490 | 223,110 | 3.1% |
| Saudi Arabia | 79,207 | 103,937 | 101,790 | 129,518 | 91,015 | 1.3% |
| Others | 1,367,317 | 1,890,186 | 573,679 | 522,661 | 606,806 | 8.5% |
| Total | 6,560,215 | 6,650,407 | 5,207,152 | 6,511,256 | 7,142,552 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
2.3.5. Canada's sources of (package) honey bee imports – by value (Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 3,002,526 | 1,510,369 | 1,278,340 | 1,988,220 | 951,273 | 84.7% |
| Chile | 0 | 316,067 | 651,930 | 167,180 | 86,400 | 7.7% |
| Australia | 559,584 | 331,206 | 853,887 | 1,255,269 | 84,870 | 7.6% |
| Denmark | 9,428 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Total | 3,571,538 | 2,157,642 | 2,784,157 | 3,410,677 | 1,122,557 | 100.0% |
| Notes:
Package bees are sold in a variety of sizes typically one pound, two pound and three pound packages. No detail on the individual numbers of different package sizes is available. Does not include queen bees and live bees that are not honey bees. Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) |
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2.3.6. Canada's sources of queen bee imports – by value (Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 6,316,094 | 7,138,232 | 7,111,970 | 7,177,805 | 7,313,155 | 91.0% |
| New Zealand | 81,787 | 63,232 | 884,234 | 103,034 | 318,928 | 4.0% |
| Chile | 91,396 | 217,937 | 225,279 | 504,080 | 143,554 | 1.8% |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 136,325 | 1.7% |
| Australia | 145,681 | 265,108 | 212,140 | 191,143 | 106,147 | 1.3% |
| Others | 0 | 2,767 | 14,166 | 0 | 22,001 | 0.3% |
| Total | 6,634,958 | 7,687,276 | 8,447,789 | 7,976,062 | 8,040,110 | 100.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada. (CATSNET, March 2021) | ||||||
3. Consumption
While consumption of sweet condiments has generally declined due to health-related concerns, natural honey is one exception. The availability of honey for consumption was up 3.1% annually to 0.98 kilogram in 2020, spurred by higher imports (+9.7%) and lower exports (-22.0%), despite lower production (-4.3%).
3.1. Honey available[1] for consumption in Canada – kilograms per person
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey[2] | 0.93 | 0.90 | 0.85 | 0.95 | 0.98 |
| Notes:
[1] Food available per person is calculated by dividing the domestic disappearance by the Canadian population as of July 1st of the reference year, at the retail level. Domestic disappearance represents the total food available for human consumption from the Canadian food supply chain. Total Supply = Beginning stocks + Production + Imports Domestic Disappearance = Total supply − Exports − Manufacturing − Waste − Ending stocks [2] Does not adjust for losses, such as waste and/or spoilage in stores, households, private institutions or restaurants or losses during preparation. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0054-01 Food available in Canada |
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4. World data
The largest exporter of honey is China in terms of volume. Due to the much higher prices paid for Manuka honey, New Zealand is the exporter with the highest total value of honey exported, despite being ranked 13th in terms of volume. Canada currently ranks 16th as an exporter in terms of value and volume.
The United States is the largest importer of honey by value and volume, purchasing supplies from a wide range of countries at all quality levels for both table consumption and ingredient uses. European countries are significant importers of honey, with Germany importing the largest amount. Japan, Saudi Arabia and China are also significant importers.
Globally, China is by far the largest producer of honey. In 2019, China's production accounted for 26% of total world production. In the same year, Canada ranked 12th globally and accounted for only 2% of total world production.
World trade data
4.1.1. Top exporters of honey worldwide – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 271,606 | 348,666 | 317,420 | 304,314 | 440,858 | 15.0% |
| China | 367,884 | 350,287 | 322,762 | 311,714 | 340,959 | 11.6% |
| Argentina | 223,089 | 238,189 | 226,370 | 194,508 | 230,082 | 7.8% |
| Germany | 181,575 | 182,095 | 182,512 | 176,548 | 195,792 | 6.6% |
| Ukraine | 129,046 | 172,619 | 127,788 | 134,398 | 185,340 | 6.3% |
| Spain | 144,399 | 142,967 | 137,123 | 117,471 | 150,682 | 5.1% |
| Brazil | 121,581 | 158,802 | 123,790 | 90,692 | 132,113 | 4.5% |
| Hungary | 91,497 | 116,502 | 111,907 | 107,558 | 116,398 | 3.9% |
| India | 93,744 | 135,573 | 132,635 | 134,046 | 111,235 | 3.8% |
| Belgium | 95,213 | 100,054 | 101,168 | 83,907 | 100,349 | 3.4% |
| Mexico | 123,115 | 136,753 | 156,140 | 90,040 | 91,148 | 3.1% |
| Poland | 48,517 | 55,680 | 55,787 | 57,899 | 83,184 | 2.8% |
| Romania | 55,099 | 67,107 | 63,658 | 56,262 | 65,866 | 2.2% |
| Australia | 41,146 | 39,680 | 42,220 | 48,164 | 54,412 | 1.8% |
| Bulgaria | 42,999 | 62,839 | 54,701 | 53,611 | 53,273 | 1.8% |
| Canada | 72,315 | 78,650 | 79,278 | 54,824 | 48,072 | 1.6% |
| Others | 516,749 | 579,539 | 559,838 | 507,959 | 547,110 | 18.6% |
| Total | 2,619,573 | 2,966,004 | 2,795,094 | 2,523,916 | 2,946,873 | 100.0% |
| Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021) | ||||||
4.1.2. Top 10 honey-exporting countries, 2020
Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021)
Description of the image above.
| Country | Canadian dollars (in thousands) |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | 440,858 |
| China | 340,959 |
| Argentina | 230,082 |
| Germany | 195,792 |
| Ukraine | 185,340 |
| Spain | 150,682 |
| Brazil | 132,113 |
| Hungary | 116,398 |
| India | 111,235 |
| Belgium | 100,349 |
4.1.3. Top exporters of honey worldwide – by volume (metric tons)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 128,330 | 129,274 | 123,478 | 120,845 | 132,469 | 18.8% |
| Ukraine | 57,027 | 67,907 | 49,461 | 55,769 | 80,872 | 11.5% |
| Argentina | 81,183 | 70,321 | 70,576 | 65,242 | 71,564 | 10.2% |
| India | 35,793 | 52,980 | 58,231 | 65,351 | 54,834 | 7.8% |
| Brazil | 24,201 | 27,053 | 28,524 | 30,039 | 45,728 | 6.5% |
| Germany | 24,116 | 24,433 | 22,788 | 25,320 | 28,902 | 4.1% |
| Spain | 26,874 | 24,751 | 23,110 | 22,471 | 28,263 | 4.0% |
| Mexico | 29,098 | 27,723 | 55,674 | 26,901 | 27,485 | 3.9% |
| Poland | 14,759 | 15,843 | 14,705 | 16,837 | 24,691 | 3.5% |
| Belgium | 20,660 | 19,720 | 19,835 | 18,298 | 22,381 | 3.2% |
| Hungary | 17,403 | 22,260 | 20,932 | 19,389 | 19,087 | 2.7% |
| Uruguay | 7,716 | 9,186 | 5,803 | 7,904 | 15,836 | 2.3% |
| New Zealand | 9,626 | 11,038 | 9,024 | 9,455 | 14,358 | 2.0% |
| Romania | 10,371 | 12,250 | 10,509 | 10,497 | 13,187 | 1.9% |
| Bulgaria | 9,001 | 13,302 | 10,719 | 12,950 | 12,831 | 1.8% |
| Canada | 17,954 | 19,462 | 18,836 | 12,082 | 9,426 | 1.3% |
| Others | 94,528 | 108,750 | 102,229 | 94,903 | 101,710 | 14.5% |
| Total | 608,640 | 656,252 | 644,435 | 614,254 | 703,625 | 100.0% |
| Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021) | ||||||
4.1.4. Top importers of honey worldwide – by value (thousands of Canadian dollars)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 559,415 | 739,697 | 627,811 | 553,182 | 592,247 | 20.3% |
| Germany | 370,790 | 406,723 | 396,781 | 338,773 | 365,479 | 12.5% |
| Japan | 209,152 | 185,433 | 188,619 | 191,607 | 233,619 | 8.0% |
| France | 168,814 | 169,489 | 168,414 | 157,575 | 173,007 | 5.9% |
| United Kingdom | 158,725 | 169,545 | 166,461 | 147,531 | 161,580 | 5.5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 55,392 | 86,795 | 99,313 | 99,935 | 140,765 | 4.8% |
| China | 96,505 | 118,605 | 91,170 | 112,618 | 119,264 | 4.1% |
| Italy | 96,028 | 106,654 | 130,572 | 105,873 | 112,117 | 3.8% |
| Poland | 67,407 | 76,031 | 81,355 | 84,181 | 105,502 | 3.6% |
| Belgium | 98,383 | 103,308 | 94,877 | 85,284 | 94,359 | 3.2% |
| Spain | 86,542 | 99,535 | 87,984 | 76,217 | 88,430 | 3.0% |
| Netherlands | 76,543 | 79,273 | 84,481 | 70,282 | 87,278 | 3.0% |
| Australia | 58,956 | 59,244 | 69,352 | 48,783 | 55,041 | 1.9% |
| Switzerland | 46,995 | 47,447 | 51,507 | 47,995 | 50,209 | 1.7% |
| Canada | 38,064 | 41,284 | 36,787 | 45,396 | 42,576 | 1.5% |
| Others | 454,326 | 508,984 | 470,900 | 441,111 | 500,142 | 17.1% |
| Total | 2,642,038 | 2,998,048 | 2,846,384 | 2,606,341 | 2,921,612 | 100.0% |
| Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021) | ||||||
4.1.5. Top 10 honey-importing countries, 2020
Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021)
Description of the image above.
| Country | Canadian dollars (in thousands) |
|---|---|
| United States | 592,247 |
| Germany | 365,479 |
| Japan | 233,619 |
| France | 173,007 |
| United Kingdom | 161,580 |
| Saudi Arabia | 140,765 |
| China | 119,264 |
| Italy | 112,117 |
| Poland | 105,502 |
| Belgium | 94,359 |
4.1.6. Top importers of honey worldwide – by volume (metric tons)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 166,442 | 202,565 | 187,624 | 178,913 | 196,642 | 27.2% |
| Germany | 84,287 | 93,070 | 85,980 | 82,203 | 88,066 | 12.2% |
| United Kingdom | 41,279 | 46,092 | 50,590 | 48,830 | 52,654 | 7.3% |
| Japan | 48,445 | 42,821 | 44,521 | 44,788 | 49,348 | 6.8% |
| Poland | 24,419 | 26,449 | 25,726 | 29,802 | 37,343 | 5.2% |
| France | 35,630 | 35,570 | 32,302 | 32,818 | 34,820 | 4.8% |
| Spain | 27,988 | 31,871 | 27,942 | 26,801 | 31,690 | 4.4% |
| Belgium | 26,571 | 25,925 | 24,915 | 24,861 | 28,148 | 3.9% |
| Saudi Arabia | 12,185 | 16,294 | 16,969 | 18,512 | 23,529 | 3.3% |
| Italy | 22,568 | 23,602 | 27,875 | 23,580 | 22,304 | 3.1% |
| Netherlands | 17,393 | 16,341 | 16,846 | 15,115 | 18,299 | 2.5% |
| Greece | 2,773 | 5,747 | 7,617 | 8,576 | 8,815 | 1.2% |
| Portugal | 5,486 | 7,457 | 6,270 | 7,553 | 8,464 | 1.2% |
| Switzerland | 7,884 | 8,192 | 8,229 | 8,240 | 8,098 | 1.1% |
| Australia | 8,634 | 8,621 | 6,873 | 4,784 | 8,010 | 1.1% |
| Ireland | 4,117 | 4,899 | 5,389 | 6,540 | 7,338 | 1.0% |
| Canada | 6,560 | 6,650 | 5,207 | 6,511 | 7,144 | 1.0% |
| Others | 82,772 | 91,342 | 79,309 | 78,749 | 92,246 | 12.8% |
| Total | 625,432 | 693,509 | 660,183 | 647,178 | 722,957 | 100.0% |
| Source: Global Trade Tracker (March 2021) | ||||||
4.2 World production
4.2.1. Top producers of honey worldwide[1] – by volume (metric tons)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2019 % Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 473,000 | 555,000 | 542,500 | 446,900 | 444,100 | 25.8% |
| Turkey | 108,128 | 105,727 | 114,471 | 107,920 | 109,330 | 6.4% |
| Argentina | 52,600 | 68,123 | 76,379 | 79,468 | 78,927 | 4.6% |
| Iran | 72,866 | 67,783 | 70,528 | 75,835 | 75,463 | 4.4% |
| United States | 71,008 | 73,429 | 67,596 | 69,857 | 71,179 | 4.1% |
| Ukraine | 63,615 | 59,294 | 66,231 | 71,279 | 69,937 | 4.1% |
| India | 62,599 | 65,090 | 66,635 | 67,612 | 67,141 | 3.9% |
| Russia | 67,736 | 69,764 | 65,167 | 65,006 | 63,526 | 3.7% |
| Mexico | 61,881 | 55,358 | 51,066 | 64,253 | 61,986 | 3.6% |
| Ethiopia | 59,161 | 47,706 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 53,782 | 3.1% |
| Brazil | 37,859 | 39,677 | 41,696 | 42,378 | 45,981 | 2.7% |
| Canada | 41,735 | 42,900 | 43,550 | 43,089 | 36,444 | 2.1% |
| Others | 705,037 | 676,157 | 670,460 | 672,294 | 543,492 | 31.6% |
| Grand Total | 1,877,225 | 1,926,008 | 1,926,279 | 1,855,891 | 1,721,288 | 100.0% |
| Note:
1. FAO production data for the year 2020 was not yet available at the time of writing this report. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations | © FAO Statistics Division 2021 |
||||||
4.2.2. Top 10 honey-producing countries, 2019
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations | © FAO Statistics Division 2021
Description of the image above.
| Country | Production (in metric tons) |
|---|---|
| China | 444,100 |
| Turkey | 109,330 |
| Argentina | 78,927 |
| Iran | 75,463 |
| United States | 71,179 |
| Ukraine | 69,937 |
| India | 67,141 |
| Russia | 63,526 |
| Mexico | 61,986 |
| Ethiopia | 53,782 |
5. Key Resources
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Statistics Division
- Global Trade Tracker
- Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0353-01 Production and value of honey
- Statistics Canada. Table 32-10-0054-01 Food available in Canada
- Statistics Canada. CATSNET
Import and export data is based on the following Harmonized System Codes (H.S. Codes):
- Honey for import: 0409000010; 0409000021; 0409000022; 0409000023; 0409000024; 0409000025; 0409000026; 0409000029; 0409000090
- Honey for export: 04090000
- Honey Bees for import: 0106410010; 0106410011; 0106410012; 0106900011; 0106900012
- Queen Bees for imports: 0106410020