The £4.3 million increase in funding for research into bee health announced by Defra is a step in the right direction and recognition of the sustained lobbying carried out by the industry, the NFU said.
Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn said nearly £2.3 million over the next two years would support the work of the National Bee Unit while a further £2 million over five years would go towards bee health research.
NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: "The industry has been lobbying for many months for the Government to increase the level of funding for research into the problems affecting bee colonies. While this isn’t as much as we were hoping for it is a step in the right direction and recognition of the seriousness of the problems.
"Honey bees are an underpinning component of the British countryside – whether it’s heather moorland, a hedgerow, an orchard or a field of beans. The role they play in pollination is vital for food production.
"Our bee farmers and beekeepers are the custodians of every single honey bee in our countryside and are facing devastating bee health problems. This money will go some way towards funding the comprehensive and co-ordinated research that needs to be undertaken."
Since last summer the NFU has been part of a cross-industry group, including the British Beekeepers’ Association, the Bee Farmers Association, and Rowse Honey Ltd, that has been lobbying the Government to increase spending on bee health research to try and find the causes of why one in three bee colonies has been lost over the past year.
Bee Farmers’ Association Secretary John Howat said: "Today’s announcement is welcomed and the industry will continue to work to ensure Government use this extra funding to tackle the most important issues facing bees and beekeeping".
