AG DAY HONORS FARMERS, CELEBRATES FUTURE
Nashville, Mar 19-25, 2000 -- Each Tennessee farmer
produces enough food and fiber for 129 people – 97 in the state and 32 abroad –
making him among the most efficient in the world. This achievement is being celebrated across the state and nation
in honor of March 20, “National Agriculture Day.”
Gov. Don Sundquist has joined other state and national leaders in the celebration by also proclaiming it “Agriculture Day” in Tennessee, the purpose of which is to honor our state’s farmers and to increase public awareness of the importance of agriculture. The theme for the celebration’s twenty-seventh anniversary is “Growing Our Tomorrows.”
“Ag Day is a message for everyone, not just farmers,” said Phyllis Ferguson, president of The Farm & Forest Families of Tennessee (TFFFT), a coalition of agricultural organizations dedicated to building public awareness of the positive contributions of farmers and forest landowners.
“With Tennessee’s rural communities changing so much and more of our population spreading to rural areas, all citizens need to know that farming and forestry play a large role in the quality of life we enjoy,” added Ferguson. “Farmers and forestland owners not only provide the necessities in life, but they contribute to the overall economy, care for our natural resources and represent traditional values.
“Despite some challenges to the farm economy, Tennessee has an opportunity to capitalize on growing world demand for food and fiber products. It’s important that we, as a state, help farmers and forest landowners operate in a sustainable, productive environment in order to compete in the 21st century.”
According to TFFFT, consumers win on Ag Day and every day because of the affordability of a dependable and safe food supply. It takes the average American only 40 days to earn enough disposable income for his or her family’s yearly supply. In the U.S., consumers spend only 11 percent of their income on food compared to 17 percent in Japan, 27 percent in South Africa and 53 percent in India.
In Tennessee, agriculture generates about $2.2 billion yearly in farm revenue alone. Tennessee’s agricultural exports last year were valued at more than $450 million, accounting for nearly one-fourth of farm income. There are 91,000 farms in Tennessee totaling 11.9 million acres. There are about 13 million acres of forestland in the state, 80 percent of which is owned by private non-industrial landowners. Tennessee’s top farm & forest products include beef cattle, hardwood lumber, tobacco, cotton, dairy products, poultry, corn, soybeans, horses and nursery products.