Celebrate National Agriculture Week and its importance in South Dakota

• Walt Bones

SD Agriculture Secretary Walt Bones

Talk about it

National Agriculture Week is being celebrated this week, Sunday through Saturday, and is a time to reflect on the importance of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers and the state’s agriculture industry.

The message of National Agriculture Day, which is today, is to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.

The National Agriculture Day program encourages every American to:

n Understand how food and fiber products are produced

n Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy

n Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products

Agriculture and its value-added industries employ one in five South Dakotans in the workforce.

“South Dakota agriculture means business,” said Walt Bones, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture. “Whether you are talking about cattle feeders, farmers’ markets, equipment manufacturers or ethanol plants, all sectors of our industry have a positive impact on the state’s economy.”

National Agriculture Day is also a reminder of the impact agriculture has in South Dakota.

* Agriculture is our state’s No. 1 industry, with a $21 billion annual economic impact

* Agriculture generates 20 percent of our state’s economic activity

* Agriculture and its associated industries employ more than 80,000 South Dakotans

* South Dakota is home to 46,000 producers on 31,500 farms

* Ninety-eight percent of farms and ranches in South Dakota are family owned and operated

* Ninety percent of South Dakota’s land is dedicated to agricultural activities

* Each producer raises enough food to feed 155 people in the world

Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating nearly $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 80,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote, protect, preserve and improve this industry for today and tomorrow. Visit us online at http://sdda.sd.gov.

Tags: ag week, news, updates, agriculture, state