NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1963 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1001

HOUSE BILL 627

 

 

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL BEE INSPECTIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

 

WHEREAS, there are approximately 30,000 beekeepers operating 250,000 colonies of bees in North Carolina valued at forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) and producing an average annual yield of five million (5,000,000) pounds of honey and one hundred four thousand (104,000) pounds of beeswax with a market value of one million six hundred thousand ($1,600,000.00); and

WHEREAS, the value of said colonies of bees for the purpose of pollination of fruit, vegetable, and field crops in North Carolina is many times that of the honey and wax produced and is essential to the production of said crops; and

WHEREAS, said bee industry is threatened by American foulbrood disease, insects and other disease pests which threaten to destroy the hives and bees and prevent the production of honey in quantities suitable for commercial use; and

WHEREAS, in order to keep the disease incidence at a minimum it is necessary to make periodical inspections of the bees and to eradicate such infections when they are found and to accomplish this will require two apiary inspectors working annually at a minimum of eight (8) months each; and

WHEREAS, there is available in the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture sufficient funds for only one apiary inspector; and

WHEREAS, an additional appropriation of four thousand three hundred dollars ($4,300.00) per year would be required to provide for the salary and travel costs of a second apiary inspector: Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund of North Carolina to the Department of Agriculture the sum of four thousand three hundred dollars ($4,300.00) for the first year of the 1963-65 biennium and the sum of four thousand three hundred dollars ($4,300.00) for the second year of the 1963-65 biennium to provide for the salary and travel costs of one additional apiary inspector.

Sec. 2.  The appropriation provided herein shall be in addition to any and all other funds received by the Department of Agriculture for apiary inspection.

Sec. 3.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 4.  This act shall be in full force and effect on and after July 1, 1963.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 19th day of June, 1963.