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.
Farm groups and equipment manufacturers say lower tariffs could help reduce machinery costs and support producers facing tight margins.
Declining cases prompt officials to ease nationwide poultry restrictions, though local measures remain available if needed.
The aggressive disease can lead to significant yield losses without timely treatment.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA has been preparing for a New World screwworm outbreak for more than a year as officials expand sterile fly production and containment efforts in Texas.
The Small Processors Action Plan will strengthen a strong, safe, and local American food supply
Data centers will continue expanding, but local decisions will determine whether that growth protects agricultural water access or adds stress to already vulnerable production regions.
