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| Louisiana celebrates National Ag Day with pride |
BATON ROUGE — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an
official proclamation declaring March 21, 2017 Agriculture Day (Ag Day) in
Louisiana. Organized by the Agriculture Council of America, National Ag Day is
also being celebrated tomorrow in communities and schools across the United
States.
“We all owe a great debt to the hardworking men and women who
raise the quality produce and livestock that all Louisiana families depend on
daily,” said Gov. Edwards. “Given the two historic floods in March and August,
2016 was a difficult year for many farms, both large and small. I hope that
proclaiming Louisiana Ag Day demonstrates our appreciation for the important
work being done by this industry to keep our families healthy and productive,
especially when that work is most challenging.”
The people of Louisiana depend on a consistently strong $13
billion annual agriculture industry. About 60 percent of Louisiana’s
agricultural income is generated by crops while the other 40 percent is
produced by livestock and livestock products. In fact, in terms of income
generated, the state’s top five agricultural products are sugar cane, rice,
cattle, soybeans and cotton. Additionally, Louisiana exports over $8.3 billion
in agricultural products annually.
The Southern University Agricultural Land-Grant Campus will host
its annual National Ag Day celebration on March 21 from 9:00 A.M. 1:00 P.M. at
the F.G. Clark Activity Center. This year’s theme is “Food for Life.” National Ag Day is a nation-wide celebration
where individuals and institutions recognize the importance of agriculture and
how it relates to everyday life.
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