PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed September as Honey Month in South Dakota.

 “South Dakota ranks in the top five honey producing states. We have 214 beekeepers who maintain 319,000 colonies,” said SD Secretary of Agriculture Lucas Lentsch. “Last year, 17 million pounds of honey were produced in South Dakota with a value of about $33 million.”

While actively foraging for pollen and nectar, honey bees contribute significantly to the pollination of our food supply and play a vital role in maintaining productive farms, forests and grasslands.

Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating over $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 122,000 South Dakotans.