For more than a decade, bee keepers have had a hard time keeping colonies alive, and it is a problem they say is still happening, and they blame it largely on climate change.
“We know that that’s affecting them because it’s affecting when flowers are blooming because they’re flowering too early, they’re flowering too late, and it doesn’t match when the bees need that energy. So we’re trying to come up with alternative forage that farmers can plant, that beekeepers can plant, that will help sort of compensate for that difference,” said Lanie Bilodeau, Research Leader at the USDA Bee Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
during the 1980s, a 10 percent colony loss was considered normal. However, since then, keepers have reported as much as half their hives either dying or disappearing.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s John Shutske says simple safety habits can help prevent some of agriculture’s most common injuries.
Cattle producers met with lawmakers to discuss the issues continuing to impact ranchers across the country.
Commissioner Sid Miller says productive farmland, water resources, and rural infrastructure are increasingly under pressure as data centers continue growing across Texas.
The Meat Institute says meat sales reached a record $112 billion last year as protein demand remained strong nationwide.
The Livestock Conservancy says protecting rare breeds helps preserve genetic diversity and long-term agricultural resilience.
Dr. Joana Colussi says differences in input costs, trade conditions, and second-crop risks continue shaping profitability in both countries.
