WASHINGTON — US honey production totaled 156,922,000 lbs in 2019, up 1.9% from a revised 154,008,000 lbs in 2018, the US Department of Agriculture said in its annual Honey report released March 19.

Honey was harvested from 2,812,000 colonies in 2019, down 0.6% from 2,828,000 colonies in 2018. Average yield per colony was 55.8 lbs, up 2.4% from 54.5 lbs in 2018.

Producer stocks of honey on Dec. 15, 2019, totaled 41,022,000 lbs, up 40% from 29,303,000 lbs a year earlier.

The price of honey sold through private, cooperative and retail channels averaged $1.97 per lb in 2019, down 11% from $2.21 per lb in 2018. The USDA changed from reporting prices in cents per lb in previous years to dollars per lb beginning with this report.

The total value of honey production in 2019 was estimated at $309,136,000, down 9% from $340,358,000 in 2018.