NM: HONEY BEES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN STATE’S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY
News Date July 13, 2010
Did you know that without bees there wouldn’t be enough watermelons for everyone to enjoy? “Watermelons are 100 percent dependent on bee pollination; in fact, it’s estimated that one third of everything we eat is dependent on the bees doing their jobs,” said Dr. Miley Gonzalez, New Mexico Department of Agriculture Director/Secretary.
Southern New Mexico is home to the two biggest commercial bee businesses in the state. In all there are fourteen registered commercial beekeepers in the state, 410 registered apiaries, and 13,074 registered colonies.
NMDA regulates the commercial bee industry in the state by enforcing the New Mexico Bee Act. “It is our job to work with the state’s beekeepers to ensure a healthy bee population. We monitor for disease, inspect the apiaries around the state, and help to determine their proper locations,” said Greg Watson, NMDA state bee inspector. (Contact: Noreen Jaramillo, 575.644.8607)