# HONEY FUTURES



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Heard the price dropped some more......maybe a good argentina crop coming............


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

If it drops mich more, we will be paying them to take it.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

I wish there were a commodities futures market in honey. That could add a little more stability to prices for commercial producers. Unfortunately, there's not enough uniformity in grades to allow it to be traded like a bushel of corn or soybeans.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I'm glad there is not a honey commodities futures market!

No doubt there would be wide-spread, non-producer speculation and market gyrations just like we see right now in corn and soybeans. Stability? Not really.

I'd like more information as to why prices have dropped a little. What we need is reliable communication. The bee magazines give some ideas as to price ranges, but I think it still boils down one-on-one dealings between buyer and seller. 

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

I'm sure that a LOT of guys would love to be 
able to manage risk by taking a fustures 
position as a way to "lock in" a price,
but the problem is that honey is just not
a big enough commodity to get anyone 
interested.

Me, I've never sold a single pound of honey
"wholesale", not have I any plans to do so.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I recently bought some honey from other producers 1) to stretch my supply and 2) to keep my customers happy until next season.

Prices have varied, but we've used basic communication to work it out. As I've called around, wholesale bulk prices have run from $1.10 to $1.25 per pound. I bought some earlier at $1.33 ($80 for a 5-gallon bucket). The price was locked-in (per a gentleman's agreement) and I didn't have to pay for it until I picked it up.

That's a better deal than any futures market.

This same producer with the buckets is holding out for higher prices even though he continues to get calls asking him to sell.

International grain markets don't have that luxury, and the sheer volume of the product and price fluctations are much different from honey production. In the futures markets there are also different "players" with different interests.

As I sell most of my honey directly to my customers, and some to stores with a volume discount, I price my honey based on my costs and what the market will bear. Since my honey is locally produced in Southeast Missouri where my customers live, foreign honey prices just don't have much affect on me.

A honey futures market wouldn't help me much at all.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

2007-02-10

ARGENTINA- FAILS THE HARVEST IN THE NORTH OF SANTA FE PROVINCE
from http://www.apitrack.com/noticias/noticias-apitrack-paginadas_en_open.ht

maybe this will bring up prices!


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## John Russell (Aug 8, 2003)

China is dedicating more and more of its cane sugar output to ethanol production, and pushing its population to using domestic honey, of wich it produces in abundance. That and the ugly rise of CCD in the U.S. should be larger contributing factors to the rise in honey prices in 2007.

John Russell
honeyb.ca


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

http://www.apitrack.com/noticias-197_en_news.htm
2007-02-27

GERMANY- HONEY PRICE INCREASES IN THE SUPERMARKETS
The specialized journalist Federico Petrera (h) informs on this prices increases close to + 25% and interview Arturo Hatrick from Apitrack on the provision of their system to 14 organizations and more than 1.000 Mexican producers to increase competitiveness and to increase their exporting capacity .
ARGENTINA- ACTUAL SITUATION OF THE HONEY MARKET
Article written by Mr. Martin Braunstein from Malka® Queens: The production of honey in Argentina during this season has not satisfied the Beekeepers expectations. Having finalized the harvest in the main zones of prairie, it is not listened to anybody comment about exceptional yields in any zone of the country. You can say that the harvest was late, below average and very erratic, also in areas normally with very good yields.

maybe honey prices are going to rise?


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Say, has anyone noticed within the last5-10 yrs how much darker the averge packers retail pack honey is getting.I think the average packers honey colour has noticeably gotten darker.
It would seem to me that the packers who had been in the higher white range (20-25 MM ) are today in the amber range.
I would think this is caused by not enough white honey to keep the pack lighter, hence a shortage of white honey.Whishfull thinking ?,PLEASE COMMENT


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## kensfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

What else can make honey darker.. age.. heat.. improper storage?


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

crop is not good in argentina
google translator leaves much to be desired

from http://www.lavozdelpueblo.com.ar/diario/2007-03-01/La_Region/17608.htm

The Region 

Spokesmen of the center who the nuclea assure that the present one is the worse situation in 40 years 
The chavenses beekeepers demand a status of apicultural emergency to the Province 





Before a situation that the local producers of honey consider worrisome, the beekeepers of Adolph Gonza'les Chaves asked for to the municipal intendant the management before the provincial organism that corresponds, of an apicultural emergency, dice the thin yields in the honey harvest, that has been reduced remarkably; fact to which a decrease in its value is added. 

In char it with the producer and member of the Center of Beekeepers of this city, Alberto Amoroso, 

it extended that at the present time, the sector is happening through the worse moment with regard to honey production, this happens at least in almost forty years, that is time that I am in this activity, where never I have had harvest so bad as this year, which I believe that it becomes general in all the southwest, commented. 

According to it aimed Loving, it must to the drought that was and, at the same time, remarcó that while every year it was in an average of 30 kilos by beehive, today is exceptional to find some beekeeper who is in the 20 kilos of average. In addition, either this noticing no that there is the more entered of nectar the beehives, which sets to the standard that the harvesting or practically this finished, maintained. 

On the other hand, it affirmed that the great beekeepers consider that they will have a harvesting that represents a third of which before it was obtained, which means that this working to loss, slid. 


Aggravating 

More ahead, it said that there are several fronts that aggravated the situation. For example, the Senasa us to demanded the room of extraction, which most of the beekeepers we are led, with the purpose of putting us to the day with the regulation, reason why expenses have become very important, that they oscillate between the 20,000 and 30,000 pesos like minimum, based on which was going to exist a good production of honey, with the aggravating one which many beekeepers took credits to the harvest, to do the works mentioned. And if we consider that these cheap credits are not nothing and, in addition, the price of the honey that the last winter arrived at 4.20 pesos, today are paying at the most 3.15 pesos to it, the fact of the inflation is due to add that there are in the country, which drains the value still more and, therefore, it causes that the business of the beekeeping is being put unmanageable. 

, As well Loving it said that another subject is that also it has varied the handling of the beehives, since before honey was left him and the beehive hibernated with its same honey and now was begun to feed the beehives with sugar or glucose on maize. 

With regard to the sanitary report, it said that the zone this or, is only beginning to complicate with barroa, but there are two or three remedies that can be used, thus will look for most effective to cure this year, indicated. 


United reclamation 

Later, Loving he said that before this situation, Center of Beekeepers stayed at level a telephone contact with the municipal intendant, Daniel Vissani, who is making managements in the Silver, to obtain emergency farming, that manages, if it is possible to be obtained, emergency apicultural, so that the beekeepers can enter that can need it ", said and added that the beekeepers of San Cayetano and Three Streams are chatting with, to see if between all we can obtain something. 

With respect to the scene in which the export occurs, he said that only they have been left three or four exporter, whom they have monopolized the business and, therefore, we do not know what destiny is going to be the east honey year old, but are esperanzados in which its price rises. 

Consulted finally by the amount of beekeepers whom there are in this city, he said that the number stays, but what we do not know they are how many they are going to be, since there are many have bees, but of there to being beekeeper, it is going away to see this year ",


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

*Honey price to rise*

Perhaps there is finally some good news that we heard about last night. USDA estimates that there are 30 million pounds of white honey left in the US currently, and estimates put Canada at around 25 million pounds. This being said, European retail prices for honey have just increased by 25%. With only 55 million pounds of white honey left in the world, the prices should be up drastically very soon. The next “white honey” crop will not be available for almost half a year. This means that there is roughly 20% of the honey that was used in the first 6 months left available. Should help prices sooner than we thought!

What about Argentina's crop

Yes, Argentina does produce some white honey, as does China and Austrailia and so on. Primarily speaking, North America produces the majority of the worlds white honey as Argentina produces a lot that is ELA or Amber. Many beekeepers that we have talked to from Argentina are saying they have been getting 80mm honey this year. By comparison, I don’t know if this is normal, darker, or lighter than usual.


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