Gov. Kelly Armstrong has declared June 16-22, 2025, as Pollinator Week in North Dakota. The state hosts a significant number of pollinators, including over 800,000 honey bee colonies.
Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring highlighted the importance of pollinators, stating, “Pollinator species such as bees, birds and insects are essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing much of our food supply. In fact, about 35% of the world’s food crops depend on pollination.” He added that “pollinators contribute nearly $20 billion to the value of U.S. crop production.”
Goehring also discussed the North Dakota Pollinator Plan: “Through best management practices outlined in the North Dakota Pollinator Plan, farmers, beekeepers, pesticide users and scientists work together to protect and maintain honey bee and other pollinator habitats in the state.” He explained that “the plan enhances communication and mitigates risk to honey bees while minimizing the impact of that mitigation on production agriculture.”
North Dakota has been leading honey production in the United States since 2004. In 2024 alone, bees from North Dakota produced 36.2 million pounds of honey valued at over $67.4 million.
