A U.S. insect expert says no one knows how much of an impact neonic-coated seeds are having on bees.
North Carolina State University researcher Dominic Reisig told the Associated Press that the role of neonics in bee deaths is so far undetermined.
“I would say clearly there’s something there, but is it one per cent? Ten per cent? Ninety per cent? We don’t know,” he said.
The lengthy AP report also quotes Sanjiv Rana, editor-in-chief of Agrow, a trade publication for the agricultural chemicals industry, saying Bayer’s top two selling neonic products earn about $1.5 billion worldwide, while Syngenta’s top neonic product makes about $1 billion in sales.
The AP also reported that Bayer spent $12 million last year promoting bee health.
