WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — Pollination expenses moved unevenly across specialty crops in 2025, with almond growers facing sharply higher costs while several fruit sectors saw declining rates, according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service data.
In the western production regions, the average almond pollination fee rose 15 percent to $209 per colony, and the total pollination value climbed 5 percent.
Almonds remained the highest-valued pollinated crop there, helping push the total regional pollination value to $364 million, up 3 percent year over year.
In California alone, 2.6 million bee colonies —roughly two colonies per acre — are needed to pollinate the state’s 1.39 million planted acres of almond groves.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Pollination costs remain volatile, raising planning risk for specialty crop producers.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Other regions showed softer markets. Cranberry colony prices dropped 6 percent, and blueberry rates fell 10 percent, while both sectors also recorded lower per-acre costs. Apples showed mixed results — rising 22 percent in one region but declining in another — highlighting the localized supply-and-demand conditions for managed hives.
Some crops strengthened. Watermelon colony prices increased 16 percent even as per-acre rates edged slightly lower, signaling tighter colony availability during bloom.
Overall pollination values declined in several eastern regions but increased in the West, reinforcing how specialty crop profitability increasingly depends on regional pollinator supply and transportation logistics.
Sen. Moran joins us to discuss the farm aid package and the financial reality faced by row crop farmers in his home state of Kansas.
December 09, 2025 02:47 PM
·
Grain farms still have strong balance sheets, but another stretch of low profits will force hard cost cuts, especially on high-rent, highly leveraged operations.
December 09, 2025 11:41 AM
·
Mold damage is tightening China’s corn supplies, supporting higher prices and creating potential demand for alternative feed grains in early 2026.
December 09, 2025 07:00 AM
·
Joe Peiffer with Ag & Business Legal Strategies advises farmers on end-of-year financial planning, including preparing records, avoiding common credit mistakes, and evaluating equipment purchases for 2026.
December 08, 2025 04:43 PM
·
$11 billion will go to row-crop farmers immediately, with $1 billion set aside for specialty crops.
December 08, 2025 03:19 PM
·
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
December 07, 2025 12:00 PM
·
Raulston Acres Christmas Tree Farm in Rock Springs, Ga., has been in the same family for three generations.
December 05, 2025 04:59 PM
·
Working capital is tightening for crop farms, increasing reliance on operating loans even as land values steady in the broader sector.
December 04, 2025 02:59 PM
·
Higher ocean freight raises export costs just as global grain competition intensifies.
December 04, 2025 02:50 PM
·
