Editing 76-10-A5 (section)

=== Transcript ===
Last year the American agriculture industry held it's first American Agriculture Day. In 30 states, Governors proclaimed an agriculture week. This year they are hoping for 50 plus the White House. I hope they made it, because March 21st, was again American Agriculture Day and John "Duke" Wayne is National Honorary Chairman. The aim is to establish communications between town and country so as to bring about a better understanding between those who raise the food and fibre and the consumers. And, in this particular business we are all consumers -- you can't live without eating.

A farm recognition day wasn't necessary a little while back because 85% of us worked and lived on a farm. Today in America (and I stress -- in America) only 5% -- 4 million people raise everything we eat. One farmer feeds 53 people and exports to a hungry world one-fourth of all he produces. Today the American farmer produces two-and-a-half times as much as he did 60 years ago on one-half the acreage and with one-third the number of man hours of work. He stands alone in the world in his capability. Almost three-fourths of the people on earth are engaged in farming - most of them scratching the soil for enough to feed themselves and their families. The doomcriers who think we're plowing up the wilderness should know that if all those other farmers were as efficient as an American farmer we could feed the world on one-tenth of the land now under cultivation. In this time of inflation it's hard not to become angry as prices -- particularly food prices go up. Well, here is the time to set the record straight. If we take the increase in wages over the past 25 years and matched it with the same percentage increase in food prices, round steak would be $3.00 a pound, a quart of milk 70¢ and eggs would be $2.00 a dozen.

The average American family spends about 17% of income after taxes on food for the entire family. We eat more and better for less than any other people on earth. In Asia food takes 83% of the family income. Yes, you can buy a chicken in Asia -- a bird hung up by its neck in an unrefrigerated display. We can buy the whole chicken, or selected parts, raw or pre-cooked in handy throw away packages, frozen or refrigerated with cleanliness and non-spoilage guaranteed.

A group of scholars recently did a price comparison of food items in the Soviet Union and here in America. To make it a fair comparison, the price on each item was translated into how many minutes or hours one would have to work at the average wage in each country to buy food. With only one exception, the Russian must work from two to ten times as long depending on which food item he is buying. The one exception was potatoes, The price tag on the Soviet potato bins was lower than in our own markets. There was one problem, they didn't have any potatoes. As Duke Wayne says - let's appreciate the American farmer and not cuss him.

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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