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HARRISBURG -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact beekeepers during the Bee and Honey Production, Disposition, and Income Inquiry to gather information on colony numbers, honey production, stocks and sales. The information helps evaluate conditions from year to year, and promote programs designed to ensure the viability of beekeepers and agricultural pollination services. This survey occurs in January and February of 2025, collecting data from more than 9,000 producers nationwide.
"The survey results provide a statistical benchmark on U.S. honey production and value," said David Knopf, regional director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office. "The information will allow the USDA, beekeepers, and any other interested parties to analyze data on a state-by-state basis and monitor changes in honey production and value," added Knopf.
To ensure all survey participants have an opportunity to respond, NASS interviewers will contact producers who do not respond by mail or online to conduct an interview. NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.
Results of this survey are published annually in the Honey report, which will be available on March 14, 2025. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.
Accepting
applications for
fellowship program
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) is accepting applications for the 2025 USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program. These fellowships introduce faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts to the vast array of USDA resources available to them. The fellowships take place during the summer of 2025, and applications are due by March 6, 2025.
The USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program offers faculty and staff the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight and understanding of the federal government. Fellows receive access to long-term collaboration opportunities with USDA agencies, and then share what they have learned with students and colleagues at their home institutions and in their communities.
Education fellowships are for faculty and staff at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). High School Fellowships are for secondary education superintendents, principals, agricultural and/or district level teachers working at Hispanic-Serving School Districts (HSSDs). Participants attend a one-week program in Washington, D.C. (July 7-11, 2025).
Science fellowships are for science faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Science fellows not only attend the one-week program in Washington, D.C. (July 7-11, 2025), but also spend an additional week collaborating with leading scientists at a USDA research facility (July 14-18, 2025).
Eligible applicants are faculty or staff at an HSI or HSSD. HSIs are accredited colleges and universities with at least 25 percent Hispanic student enrollment. Currently, there are more than 600 HSIs in 28 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico serving more than 3 million students.
NE Region
farm labor report
There were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, up 3% from the October 2023 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 808,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2024, up 3% from the July 2023 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $19.11 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, up 2% from the October 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.57 per hour, up 2%. Livestock workers earned $17.51 per hour, up 2%. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.27 per hour, was up 2% from the 2023 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.4 hours during the October 2024 reference week, down 1%t from the hours worked during the October 2023 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $18.95 per hour during the July 2024 reference week, up 2% from the July 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.36 per hour, up 2%, while livestock workers earned $17.36 per hour, up 2% from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.08 per hour, was up 2% from the July 2023 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 40.6 hours during the July 2024 reference week, down 1% from the hours worked during the July 2023 reference week.
Northeast Region II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania)
There were 34,000 workers hired directly by farms during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024. All hired workers worked an average of 39.0 hours during the survey week. The average wage rate for all hired workers was $19.22 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $18.27 per hour and livestock workers averaged $17.37 per hour. Field and livestock workers combined earned an average of $18.04 per hour.
There were 37,000 workers hired directly by farms during the week of July 7-13, 2024. All hired workers worked an average of 37.5 hours during the survey week. The average wage rate for all hired workers was $19.13 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $18.14 per hour and livestock workers averaged $17.37 per hour. Field and livestock workers combined earned an average of $17.96 per hour.