ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE REPORT 

 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1970 



The following are the legislative recommendations of the 

 Department in the fiscal year 1970:- 



No. 1 - An Act Providing for the Establishment of a Foreign 

 Trade Section in the Division of Markets in the Department of 

 Agriculture. 



Farmers are heavy contributors to the health of our economy 

 and are the hope of the world in staving off mass famine. The 

 farmer continues to have a far-reaching effect on domestic and 

 world affairs as an employer, a consumer, a taxpayer and a supplier. 



Agriculture is still the nation's biggest industry, with 

 assets of better than $273 billion. That's equal to about two- 

 thirds the value of all current U.S. corporate assets. And farm- 

 ing involves 5.2 million workers - more t-han the combined work 

 force needed to operate the nation's transportation, public 

 utilities, steel and automobile industries! Because they've been 

 caught in a squeeze between rising operating costs and declining 

 wholesale prices, many farmers are dropping out, with no replace- 

 ments, in order to find more lucrative occupations. 



V/ith the help of modern science and technology in improving 

 farm practices, production can be increased but new markets must 

 be opened for the farmer's product in order to keep this life- 

 saving business economically profitable. 



The export market is the answer for this expanded production, 



American agriculture is the world's largest exporter of food 

 products - with 78 of our 300 million harvested acres producing 



