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.
Beef industry groups seem to agree — market-based pricing, not federal intervention, best supports rancher livelihoods and long-term beef supply stability.
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