Bee colony loss hurts ag industry and consumers

By: Abbey Stegenga

South Dakota News Watch

August 6, 2023

For more than a decade, beekeepers in South Dakota and around the country have been fighting against historically high annual colony loss rates of more than 30%.

The continued loss of colonies has the potential to affect roughly 100 different agricultural crops across the country and could raise food prices while decreasing food availability, according to an article from the University of Florida Extension.

The state's beekeepers brought in more than $18.6 million from the sale of honey from roughly 185,000 colonies in 2022, according t...