Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- A malady that has killed billions of
bees since 2006, threatening about $15 billion in pollinated
crops, is devastating hives again, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's top honeybee researcher.
Left unchecked, honeybee losses may affect the availability
and price of crops such as almonds, the USDA has said. A bee
shortage may harm production of other pollinated crops such as
blueberries and pumpkins, lowering profits at companies from
Dole Food Co., the world's largest fresh-produce seller, to
Hershey Co., maker of Almond Joy candy bars, and Blue Diamond
Growers, the world's largest tree-nut processing and marketing
company. The effects of the malady may not be as severe this year as
last because beekeepers are taking better care of their insects
to maintain colony health, said Jerry Bromenshenk, chief
executive officer of Bee Alert Technology Inc. in Missoula,
Montana. |
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