Thank-you for inviting me to testify on the subject of genetically modified organisms. I also sit on the executive committee of U.S. Beekeepers, a national trade association. Honeybees are an important component of our agricultural economy.
Many crops are dependent on honeybee pollination for cost effective production.
A recently published Cornell study set the honeybee's value to U.S. agriculture at 14.6 billion dollars. An additional value accrues to home gardeners and wildlife who forage on wild seeds and fruit set as a result of bee pollination. Thousands of colonies are moved into N.Y. every year and provide a valuable service to N.Y. farmers and consumers. Sadly, bees and beekeepers have had a rough time recently. We must contend with 3 exotic pests introduced over the past 15 years.