This week (June 21 – 27, 2021) is National Pollinator Week.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says pollinator species, such as birds, bats, bees and other insects, play an important role in producing more than 100 crops grown in the United States. He says honey bee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually and is critical to ensuring our diets are plentiful with fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
Vilsack says the health of these agricultural contributors is critical to the vitality and sustainability of US agriculture, food security and our nation’s overall economy. Pollinators are also essential for healthy, biodiverse ecosystems across public and private lands, including agricultural lands, National Forests and National Grasslands.
USDA recognizes the critical role pollinators play in agriculture and supports pollinator health through research, data collections, diagnostic services, monitoring, pollinator habitat enhancement programs and pollinator health grants.
Learn more about USDA pollinator work at www.usda.gov/pollinators.
Read the full National Pollinator Week proclamation by using this link: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-national-pollinator-week-proclamation-2021.pdf
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