919 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



247 



Crop and Market Report 



Compiled by M G DadanI 



For the July market report we asked our correspon- 

 dents to answer the following four questions : 



1. How is the honey crop compared to last year? 



2. What honey have you on hand and what is the 

 demand? 



3. Have you had any contracts or prices offered for 

 your 1919 crop? If so, what was offered for extracted? 

 For comb ? 



4. What do you expect to realize for your crop of ex- 

 tracted? For comb? 



THE HONEY CROP 



Although the reports are far from complete on all sec- 

 tions of the country, the prospects seem to be very favor- 

 able for a good crop of clover honey throughout the east 

 and central west. The crop varies very much in different 

 localities. 



The clover crop, however, was short in many sections 

 last year, and it would be very hard for it to be so short 

 again this year. The New England States, New York and 

 Pennsylvania, report a very fair crop so far, and Michi- 

 gan, although hardly up to last year, states *hey will have 

 a good crop. Parts of Iowa are very dry, and other parts 

 are wet, and are hoping for dry weather to make a good 

 clover flow. The same thing is true in Illinois. Wiscon- 

 sin is better than expected, as is Minnesota. 



The season now is probably ten days late in all this 

 large section of the country, so that there are still good 

 prospects for a white clover flow. 



In the southeast, Georgia and Florida especially, the 

 prospects and honey flow have been very good, probably 

 a little better than last year. 



Along the Missouri Valley the honey crop is coming 

 along well, and is at least equal to last season. Texas has 

 very flattering reports, varying from normal to 800 per 

 cent of what was obtained last season. One or two small 

 localities report a complete failure, but in most instances 

 the crop will be extremely good, following several poor 

 years. 



The inter-mountain territory has not yet harvested any 

 honey, but is looking for a normal crop. 



In California the crop will be short, only yielding 

 probably 75 per cent. Orange flow was good, but the 

 sage crop is extremely short, and the total crop for Cali- 

 fornia, although over SO per cent, will be hardly 75 per 

 cent of normal. 



DEMAND FOR HONEY 



The demand is unusually weak in the local market 

 this month. Of course this is natural, for the warm sea- 

 son and nothing else should be expected. One or two lo- 

 calities state that they are entirely cleaned up on honey 

 and that there is a good demand from outside. 



CONTRACT PRICES OFFERED 



There have been very few offers on honey for this 

 year by the big buyers. One or two reporters stated that 

 they had been offered a very low price, but refused to take 

 it. Two or three others were offered 15 to 17c for white 

 extracted, but were not willing to close at that figure. 



A few reports come from California of sales at very 

 reasonable prices to the beekeeper. A two-ton crop of 

 orange honey sold for 20c a pound and a twelve-ton crop 

 of sage at 19^c. 



PRICES EXPECTED 



Practically in all instances the beekeepers are ex- 

 pecting a good stiff price for honey this year, and they 

 should. Prices of other products have not dropped ma- 

 terially, and honey, unless it is extremely inflated at pres- 

 ent, should not drop very low. Most of the reporters de- 

 sire a price of about 20c for white extracted honey, al- 

 though some state they expect to be offered only as high 

 as 12 and 15c. with the price of $4.50 to $5 per case for 

 comb honey. The highest price expected by any producer 

 for comb honey was $6 per case f. o. b. shipping point. 

 This is hardly commensurate with a higher price for ex- 



tracted honey, and give the comb-honey producers the 

 profit they should have. 



One thing striking the writer is the absence of reports 

 on comb honey; it would appear as if very little was 

 being raised. If this be the case, there will certainly be a 

 great demand for it, and it should command the highest 

 prices. 



CO-OPERATIVE EXCHANGES 



. It is too early yet for the Colorado Honey Producers 

 to make offers on honey, as their crop is not yet har- 

 vested, and they have no chance to sell. The Texas As- 

 sociation is offering its members on a basis of 16c for ex- 

 tracted honey, and 18c for bulk comb. Most of the bee- 

 keepers are satisfied with this price, although a few are 

 holding off expecting higher prices, and several have 

 stated that they are going to sell their honey locally at a 

 better figure. 



The California Exchange has quoted prices in car lots 

 as follows: Orange blossom 18c, white and water white 

 sage 17c, light amber mountain honey 14c, white amber 

 alfalfa lie. These prices are guaranteed against any de- 

 cline on the part of the association up until September 1, 

 1919. This would signify that the prices as above men- 

 tioned are expected to be the very lowest, and that likely 

 the Association will want to raise this price before the 

 season is over. It is to be remembered that the crop out 

 there is light, and since a large part of the honey which 

 finds its way into the big markets comes from California, 

 the action of this Association is not without a great deal 

 of effect. 



The Association has appointed three large commission 

 firms to act as its agents in assisting it to market the 

 crop. 



THE GOVERNMENT REPORTS ON HONEY 



The monthly report of the Bureau of Markets for May 

 31, 1919, which is the latest we have, contains very much 

 information on the movement of honey, and upon the 

 prices obtained in the different markets. We urge upon 

 our subscribers, wherever at all interested, to get in 

 touch with the Bureau of Markets at Washington, D. C, 

 and ask to be placed upon the mailing list to get the 

 semi-monthly reports of honey arrivals and prices. 



This report for May 31 contained, also, some very in- 

 teresting information upon the kind of containers in 

 which honey is shipped, and the condition in which it 

 arrives upon the big markets. 



Taking New York movement and prices as a criterion, 

 it would seem that the honey price is going to hold up 

 very well. New York markets show that western honey 

 is selling at from 15c to 17c per pound, with a few sales 

 at 20c. Porto Rican and Cuban honey is selling at from 

 $1.25 to $1.50 per gallon, and white clover honey at 17c to 

 20c. This is, of course, for the old crop. 



EXPORT OF HONEY 



The amount of honey exported from April 1 to April 

 20. which are the latest dates available, amounted to 591- 

 000 pounds. Totals since last July 1 amount to 8.900.000 

 pounds. Again it would seem that the price of our honey 

 depends considerably on the amount that is exported. 

 With the coming of peace, the market could be brought to 

 a point which will allow of considerable more export dur- 

 ing the coming year than during the past one. 



SUMMARY 



Taken all in all, the beekeeper should not be discour- 

 aged with the price of honey which he is to expect during 

 the coming year. Of course, as stated in our last issue, 

 the final conclusion will depend upon the beekeeper himself 

 as to the price that he will obtain. We do not look for 

 white honey to sell much below 15c per pound, nor do we 

 think that it will reach a price of over 20c. It is possible 

 that prices may be considerably lower than this, although 

 we hardly expect it. It is true that big buyers are not 

 now out after large quantities but likely they are cleaning 

 up all old stock in preparation for the new. 



