NORWICH – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in late February to bolster its efforts to revive New York’s bee population after a year when beekeepers lost on average 30 percent of their hives to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – hurting New York farms' ability to pollinate crops.

Earlier this month, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack directed $3 million to study bee losses in the Midwest. Senator Gillibrand is urging the USDA to expand their investigation to New York and the Northeast.

According to a release for Senator Gilibrand's office, “New York’s farms rely on a strong and healthy bee population to pollinate our fruit and vegetable crops.” It continued that “The alarming decline of the bee population comes at a steep price for our environment, our farms, and our economy. It is critical for the USDA make this investment here in New York to respond to Colony Collapse Disorder, and help revive New York’s farms.”

The USDA indicated that New York State has an estimated 52,000 beehives, each of which produce approximately 51 pounds of honey, ranking the state the tenth in honey production. Bee pollination supports blueberries, cherries, squash and other fruit and vegetables. Apple trees require two to three hives per acre to pollinate. Bee pollination adds an estimated $300 million value to a $4.4 billion agriculture industry in New York.

Throughout the U.S., approximately 45 percent of beehives were lost just last year.

“Honeybees are a very complex species with very complex problems,” said Chuck Kutik of Kutik's Honey Farm in Norwich. “It's noteworthy that Senator Gilibrand is backing up beekeepers throughout New York State, but the truth of the matter is that the proposal is only a drop in the bucket,“ he added.

According to the proposed initiative, it would be implemented by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), a branch of USDA, from its field offices in New York State.