Date: 1992-03-11
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. it is my pleasure to be the sponsor of House Joint Resolution 272. This resolution will designate March 20. 1992. as a day of national observance to honor all the men and women involved in American agriculture. The goal of National Agriculture Day is simple. Under this resolution. Congress and the President can help focus national attention on the importance of American agriculture to our country. Some may ask why we should have a National Agriculture Day. Some may point out how few Americans today mark their occupation as farmers or ranchers. Hl1158 It is true that less than 2 percent of our Nations population is engaged in the production of the food and fiber these days. The number of people who call themselves farmers or ranchers has declined greatly during this century. But that does not make agriculture any less important in our society. Mr. Speaker. American agriculture today is more productive. more competitive and. I believe. more important to the American economy than ever before. The American agricultural sector is noted for its productivity. One American farmer or rancher today annually produces enough food to feed 100 people on average. The productivity of American agriculture allows the other 98 percent of Americans to engage in other activities not tied to the land. The productivity of American agriculture assures American consumers a stable supply of food and fiber products at affordable prices. Our agricultural sector has also become more competitive. During the 1980s. the U.S. agricultural economy went through a painful economic downturn caused by a combination of global and domestic factors. The agricultural producers who survived those difficult times are today more efficient and more competitive than ever before. Finally. I believe American agriculture today is more important to the American economy than ever before. Today the United States is the worlds largest exporter of agricultural products. Agriculture is the only economic sector that continually provides a positive trade balance for our Nation. Agriculture is not just farmers. it is the entire food and fiber system. When you look at it that way. you realize that agriculture is our Nations largest industry. Roughly one out of every six American jobs is related to the production. processing. distribution. or marketing of food and fiber products. Seventeen percent of our Nations gross national product is related to agriculture. National Agriculture Day is more than just a day to honor our Nations farmers and ranchers. It is also a day to honor the millions of Americans whose livelihood involves the production. processing. distribution. and sale of food and fiber products in our country. It has become fashionable in recent years to criticize the Federal programs of our Nations farmers. However. I firmly believe that only by keeping American agriculture strong can the rest of us be assured of the longterm supply of food and fiber products at reasonable and stable prices. The fact is. every American is dffected by the economic health and vitality of our Nations agricultural economy. Mr. Speaker. March 20 is also the first day of spring. The warmth of spring marks the beginning of a new growing season for the farmer. So it is