Ronald Reagan

“ Today a single American farmer is capable of satisfying the food requirements of seventy-seven individuals-a sevenfold increase in the course of forty years. This quantum leap in the productivity of our agricultural community makes it possible for the United States to respond to the demands of a burgeoning international population without imposing unnecessarily high food prices on American consumers. ”

“ The success of our farmers in marketing their production abroad has enabled this nation to sharply reduce its balance of trade deficit and to pay for its energy imports. Our farmers are the critical link in a food production chain that consistently yields the most wholesome and varied range of foodstuffs known to man. In addition, the farm community enhances our quality of life by helping preserve the family and the individual as meaningful components of modern American society. ”

“ The contributions of this nation's agricultural sector are not limited to its capacity to produce a plentiful supply of food. Once agricultural commodities leave the farm gate, they generate economic activity which creates job opportunities for 19 million nonfarm workers. ”