(Shawn Magrath Photo)

OXFORD – Standing amidst a swarm of advocates, at Kutik’s Honey Farm in Chenango County, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed how a recent under-the-radar decision on bees could sting Upstate, the Southern Tier, its local Ag efforts, and even a budding jobs niche that supplies summer farmers’ markets and local restaurants.

Schumer detailed a recent fed decision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to stop collecting data on honey bees that puts the species and Upstate New York’s economy, at risk. Schumer said that the Southern Tier is a hive of productivity, but that this recent decision by the feds could derail much of what keeps Upstate competitive and robust as an agricultural hub. Schumer called on the USDA to reverse course immediately, and instead, step-up their work on bee populations. Schumer revealed numbers that proved his point and hit home the critical importance of honey bees to Upstate New York and the Southern Tier’s agriculture sector.