President Donald Trump last week used a presidential proclamation honoring National Agriculture Day as an opportunity to affirm the administration’s consideration of the sector in its international trade strategy. “As my Administration fights for better trade deals, agriculture will be an important consideration so that its significant contributions will only increase in the years ahead,” he said.
The proclamation came just days before the Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled vote on Sonny Perdue as the new secretary of agriculture. According to Agri-Pulse, the committee leaders hope to hold a floor confirmation vote on Perdue before Congress leaves for Easter recess.
The proclamation, which affirmed March 21 as National Agriculture Day, recognized “endlessly innovative” American agriculture as the largest positive contributor to the nation’s net trade balance. It also noted the importance of agricultural exports to the American economy and the jobs they support.
“We are proud of American agriculture and we recognize agriculture's critical role to our nation's bright future,” he said.
National Agriculture Day celebrates the role of agriculture in daily American life and highlights its continuing importance to the national economy and the farmers, ranchers, processors and retailers that the sector employs.
For more information, contact Ruth Saunders, IDFA vice president of policy and legislative affairs, at rsaunders@idfa.org.