USDA Provides $3 Million to Improve Honey Bee Health

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide $3 million in technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to help improve the health of bees. Funding will be provided through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to promote conservation practices that will provide honey bees with nutritious pollen and nectar while providing benefits to the environment. The funding will be targeted in five Midwestern states, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Bees play an important role in crop production; however, recent studies have shown that beekeepers are losing about 30 percent of their colonies each year, up from historic norms of 10-15 percent. Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. Applications are due by March 14. Learn more or contact your local USDA Service Center.